Author's Note: So, here is another story! Sorry, I am just so excited for this one! Let me know what you think, enjoy!
Warnings: None, maybe just language.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Goddess OF Deaths is the one that came up with the idea for the story and approached me to write it!
Word Count: 4,358
The sounds of explosions off in the distance. The summer heat leaves the air thick and hard to breath in. The battlefield is filled with kicked up dust and residual chakra from jutsu. The smell of blood is strong back at the medical tents. Men and women, shinobi and human volunteers from all allied nations run around trying their hardest to save as many lives as possible to get them back out into the battle.
Sakura has long since forgotten how long they've been battling the Zetsu army and Madara, who, from recent reports coming in, isn't Madara? Sakura can't decern all of the hectic hearsay coming in by men and women who are flirting with death and are in too much pain to think clearly. She worries, listening closely for any news of her friends but mostly nothing. Occasionally she would hear of Shikamaru and Ino relaying orders and that Naruto has appeared on the battlefield with Killer Bee, but nothing concrete.
The young pink haired girl moves around the medical tents, beads of sweat working down her back and neck. She moves swiftly, lungs working, her hands are full of bandages and medical tape. An anxiously waiting nurse, spots her and waves her over frantically. Sakura follows her into the room to a screaming Leaf Village shinobi who's missing his left arm. She moves over to his side, laying down the supplies on the nearby table and begins to work with expert detachment. She murmurs soft, soothing words, while repairing as much of the damage as possible, but without the missing arm, he can no longer be any help out in the battlefield.
Sakura steps away to wash the blood from her hands, her head is light and the world is spinning. She glances over at the motionless body on the table. A nurse is pulling a sheet over him. Sakura has to look away. It's getting harder and harder for her to heal simple wounds. She hasn't gotten more than a small cat naps since this entire war started. It's worn her down physically and mentally. Her chakra reserves have been riding nonexistent for the past three days and she is beyond annoyed or grouchy from lack of sleep and exhaustion.
She's no better than a walking corpse. It's hard for her to feel any sort of emotion at any given time. She can go through the motions, but she can't bring herself to really feel anything.
Finally, another break in the battle, where both sides pull back to plan out the next course of attack. Sakura uses this time to slip away just outside of the camp to find a nice quiet rock to sleep on away from the stench of sweat, blood, infection and death. Sakura's butt hits the rock far harder then she would have liked and she manages a small flinch before it becomes too tiring to feel much else. She reaches up and pulls her headband and hair-tie from her nasty pink locks and run her hands through the greasy strands, cringing at the feel.
When was the last time Sakura even considered showering? Well, she's deeply considering it now and has to use more strength than necessary to pull herself to her feet and make her way to the nearby river. She might not get another chance like this in a long time. She's not going to waste it. She stumbles downstream a bit to ensure she doesn't pollute the water they use to clean wounds with her body oils and peels her nasty clothes from her. Another doctor she recognizes nods to the fifteen year old as she carries a bucket of water back to the medical tents.
The cold water gives Sakura a chill but wakes her up some. She is quick to clean her hair and body and calls out thanks to one of the assistant nurses for bringing her a small bar of soap and some new clothes. Thankful, she thoroughly cleans her body and hair with the soap, not at all minding that it wasn't the scented shampoo and body wash that she had become so used to. She's just thankful for being able to clean herself.
After about twenty minutes the young pink haired girl pulls herself from the cool water and into the hot air and quickly dresses. She makes her way over to the rock she fell onto earlier and lowers herself a little more gracefully. She runs her long, worn fingers through the clean pink locks, wondering if the humidity is going to make it take forever for her short hair to dry.
Her thin fingers get caught in every single knot that has formed in her hair. After pulling out a few good chunks of hair, Sakura cuts her losses and pulls it back up into it's elastic prison and pulls her 'ninja' headband back on before curling over her knees and closing her eyes. Hoping to get just a few minutes of shut-eye.
"Ms. Haruno! Lady Sakura, where are you?"
Sakura jumps from her curled up position, her entire body aching from being in the same position for a long period of time. A series of pops and cracks work their way through all her joints. She flinches, mind momentarily pulled from a haze. She looks around to see a bunch of nurses running over to her, they are sweating and panting. As soon as they reach her, each begin telling her about patients that need her.
In a daze, Sakura follows them back to the camp. She can barely understand anything that any of them are saying to her. A fog settling in over her brain. She looks up at the crescent moon, high in the sky. It's about midnight. Sakura at least got a few hours of sleep, but now her body feels like it's working through molasses. Her muscles are caked in mud and it's a nightmare to try and move any single inch of her body.
It hurts to just think. Sakura's body just goes through the motions of helping people, her mind has shut down long ago. Her orders come out quiet and robotic and she can't even pretend she doesn't notice the worried looks sent her way. But no one says anything, no one tries to stop her because she is Lady Tsunade's student. By far the best medical shinobi that they have on staff at the moment. Sakura is pulled back and forth across the entire camp from one life threatening shinobi to another because she's the only one with the skills to get them out of there quick enough.
Four hours. That's how long Sakura got to sleep. It's the longest she's had in a long time but while their side was planning the next stage of attack, they were caught off guard and sustained many casualties. It's at times like this where Sakura wished there was a hundred of her. This war is becoming fuzzy in her head. Morning comes back around and Sakura's been on her feet for hours.
When she finally clocks into reality, she's wrist deep into a Mist Village shinobi's gut, healing a hole punched almost right through him. She makes silent but efficient work healing up all the organ damage before pulling her hands out and making quick work of sewing his wound shut before leaving to let the nurses bandage him up while she cleans herself up.
Sakura turns around and takes two toward the opening in the tent when her legs give out and she lands hard on her knees. Sakura's world spins around her. She can hear people calling out to her but it's like her ears are filled with cotton. The sun beats down on her even through the tent. Her mind immediately does a diagnostic check. She's famished and dehydrated. Her chakra levels are almost zero. She's running on fumes. When was the last time she really took take of herself? Sakura doesn't have the strength to stop herself from falling unconscious.
When Sakura slips back into consciousness feeling better than she has for a long time. She's curled up on her side feeling warm and safe. Someone is gently touching her hair, petting it back. It's a familiar act, one that her mother used to do when Sakura was young. When she was sick, or had a bad day, her mother would sit up in her room and pet her hair down, much like this and it never ceased to make her feel better.
The hand moves away along with it's affectionate touch and Sakura whimpers quietly. What she wouldn't give to be back in her own room, with her normally abrasive mother being tender towards her in the once in a blue moon when it occurred.
Sakura opens her eyes slowly to see that she's at the last place she expected to be. Training ground 7 is exactly as she remembered it. The three posts a few yards away from her, the lake right next to her. She reaches out to touch the water, remembering the chill it used to hold from many a times being tossed in there by both Kakashi-sensei and later Lady Tsunade, from the few times that they trained there.
But she doesn't feel anything. Even the coarse grass beneath her has no feeling. Sakura's brows pull together in confusion when she spots someone standing in the center of the water, facing her.
"Interesting that this would be the place your mind comes to in it's moment of desired peace," a soft male voice says. Sakura's head jerks up at the man in front of her. Even more confused.
"Naruto?" She says softly, before her eyes widen and she climbs to her feet, taking a step toward the tall blond. "Naruto! Oh thank kami that you're okay!"
Naruto smiles faintly, almost sadly, but it's a voice behind her that speaks, "Not quite Naruto."
Sakura turns around in confusion before her jaw drops. "Master Jiraiya! How...? When...? Where...?" She waves her hands around, unable to fish the needed words from the air. "But, I thought that you were...?" Her eyes widen as her limbs grow heavy and fall to her sides. She stares back at the old sage sitting atop of one of the posts now just feet from her with his arms and legs crossed. He smiles sadly. "But you... died..." Sakura says softly.
"I did," he admits, his voice is soft and low. "Not as fun as it sounds, though. I suggest not trying it for at least a hundred more years."
Sakura wanted to smile at his words but she couldn't her entire body is filling with this cold sensation. "Did I die?" Her voice is soft and it cracks slightly. Her eyes widen and she spins around to look at her blond teammate. "Naruto! I-" she stops, eyes widening even more. The man staring back at her isn't her teammate. He lacks the three facial scars on both his cheeks and he's taller than even Naruto with smaller blue eyes and a thinner face. His hair is longer than Naruto's and bushier, two bits of hair long enough to frame his handsome face.
Sakura's green eyes take in the jounin vest, Konoha headband and the long, white, short sleeve jacket with red flames on the bottom. Sakura falls to her knee and bows her head, staring at the ground with huge eyes. Her mind racing. "L-Lord Fourth... I am so sorry for m-my disrespect... I didn't... I mean, I thought you were someone else." Sakura shakes her head. The similarities between the Fourth and Naruto were astounding. She truly mistook the Hokage for her goofy teammate. She must be more tired then she thought.
"No, it's alright, Lady Sakura," the Fourth says, walking over the water toward the bowing girl. "Please, stand. There is much we must discuss."
"Discuss?" Sakura murmurs, standing back up, slowly. "Did I die?" she asks again, dreading the answer. But she has to know for sure. Sakura knew she was running herself into an early grave with the way she wasn't taking care of herself during the war, but they needed her at all times, she couldn't slack off. Not for a single moment.
"No," Jiraiya says. "You are very much alive, Sakura. Out cold, currently, but you're in good hands." Sakura lets out a long winded sigh of relief. At least she wasn't dead. "You really were working yourself to the bone out there, Tsunade Jr."
Jiraiya said those words affectionately, but Sakura flushed in embarrassment. "I know. Master would be really upset with me if she knew."
"Ha, tell her that she's no better," Jiraiya says, laughing.
The Fourth steps up next to Sakura, tilting his head slightly. Sakura looks up at him. Yes, he's definitely taller than Naruto, probably about as tall as Sasuke. Maybe even a bit taller. "I admire medical shinobi and their selflessness," the Fourth says thoughtfully. "Shinobi are creatures of death and destruction yet medical shinobi dedicate their lives to saving people. The exact opposite of a shinobi duty. It's admirable."
Sakura blushes, intimidated by being so close to the handsome, young Hokage. "Thank you, my lord. That... means a lot coming form you. But, if I'm not dead, what am I doing... here?" she looks around, now certain that this is just an image of the training ground she used to train in as a small girl. Moreso with Kakashi and the rest of Team 7 than with Lady Tsunade.
"This is where your mind sought out safety in your dreams," Jiraiya says. "We could have ended up anywhere, but your mind chose here."
"Why?" Sakura asks, not all that sure she understands.
"It means something to you," the Fourth says. "This area brings your mind peace."
Sakura looks around the area again, noting all it's faults, how it's a poor example of the place that she does truly love. But her mind is quick to mold it into the land that she remembers. But it's not enough. It's all in her head. What she wouldn't give to actually be there now. Thirteen years old just staring out with Kakashi as her new sensei and Sasuke and Naruto her newly made teammates.
All three occupants watch in silence as an image appears next to them. Kakashi leaning lazily next to the post Jiraiya's sitting on, his nose buried in one of his pervy books, but he's looking at them over the top, as he often did when he didn't think that they noticed. But Sakura did. She knew that the lazy legend wanted to keep them safe, wanted to make them strong, but he didn't really know how. So he settled for watching them and learning how they worked.
Three smaller versions of Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto sit cross-legged in front of their sensei. All of them are trying to concentrate on meditating.
Sakura's eyebrows pull together as she stares at the younger version of herself. "That's not right. We didn't meet Kakashi-sensei until we were about thirteen. We're all eight here."
"It doesn't have to be correct," Jiraiya says. "It's all just in your head. Now, Sakura, listen, we have to talk."
Sakura stares at the younger versions of herself and her two teammates, wanting to ask more about what is going on with the image, but that's ultimately not what is important. She looks to the old sage nodding slowly. In the corner of her eye she can see them vanish into thin air, as if they were never there to begin with.
"You're right, Master Jiraiya, I'm ready. Why are you and Lord Fourth here? In my head, I mean," Sakura asks. She runs a hand through her pink locks looking between the two men.
"Sakura, something is coming," Jiraiya says, pushing himself off of the post to stand in front of the small medical shinobi. "This entire war between the Zetsu armies and the Shinobi alliance is just another chapter leading up to the actual issue. Something is coming, and it's nastier than any of what you have seen before. Anything we've seen before."
"Yes, the Moon Eye Plan. Madara is going to cast the world into a genjutsu. That's what we are fighting to prevent," Sakura says. Her stomach plummets when she notices Jiraiya lack of relief at their knowledge of the evil mastermind's plan.
"That plan will fail," the Fourth says. "It is inevitable. Naruto is the Child of Destiny meant to stop this plan from coming to fruition. But the real threat follows the war, it lingers under the guise of peace, bubbling beneath the surface. It can only be considered a great evil over the horizon. No one can see it because of the shadow cast over it by this foolish war."
"What is this great evil?" Sakura asks, feeling sickened by this entire thing.
Jiraiya shakes his head, a dark look on his face. "We don't know, Sakura. We just don't know."
"If Naruto is the Child of Destiny, can't he stop this? Why are you telling me this? What do I have to do with this?" Sakura asks, wanting to take a step away from the two men, wanting to put some space between them, but her legs feel like they are being held in place by cement.
"Everything," Jiraiya says cryptically. "This has everything to do with you."
"How?" Sakura croaks, but Jiraiya shakes his head, eyebrows pulled together sadly. She waits a fleeting moment, wondering if he will suddenly know the answer and explain it. But he doesn't. He stares back at her with this look that says it all. He's sorry, but he doesn't have the answers that she seeks. He just needs her to trust him and accept it. "I don't understand," Sakura says quietly, sinking to her feet.
Sudden anger floods through her. Why give her partial answers? Why give her sad looks without fully explaining what they mean? Why would they go into this without knowing all the answers themselves? Why put the burden of not knowing on her shoulders and push her towards an omnious looking future without even the slightest bit of clarity other than "a great evil"?
But her anger drains as she stares into the sad dark eyes of the man who looked after her teammate and friend and became a father figure to Naruto.
"You must be ready," the Fourth says. "This great evil cannot be stopped with the shinobi that live now. I must be alive and aid in the battle. But in order to come back to life, I need your help."
Sakura started shaking her head right around the time the Fourth said that he had to be alive and help fight. "That's impossible. There is no way to bring the dead back to life... er, I mean, the way you are asking." Her mind bringing forth memories of Lady Chiyo and how she did what Sakura thought was impossible. She had brought Gaara back from the dead. Unfortunately, that technique died with the Hidden Sand elder.
The Fourth smiles faintly. "I am quite aware of the boundaries of life and death. But there is a way around it. I can give you my soul. Through you, I can live." Sakura stares back at him, perplexed, her mind racing with the possibilities, but nothing makes sense. How in the world does the Fourth Hokage plan on living through her? "Only you are capable of housing my soul," Minato adds, like that was suppose to clear up any and all confusion. It didn't.
Sakura shakes her head again. "There is no way your soul can live within my body, I already have a soul," she says slowly as if the concept would be hard for him to understand. He stares at her with the same sad look so she clarifies, "My soul."
"Think harder," he says softly, he stares down at her with familiar blue eyes. So similar to those of her beloved friend. Sakura swallows the sadness and stares back at the older man.
Sakura sighs, dropping her head into her hands for a moment before looking up at the handsome, young kage. "There isn't another way," she says but right as she does the answer pops into her head. The only way for him to be reborn is for him to be reborn. Sakura stares up at the young Hokage in confusion, he must have been able to read her look because he nods solemnly to her unspoken words. "But... how? How would we do that?" He smiles so sadly that Sakura could see this wasn't easy for him.
"I will use a seal to bind my soul to you and when the time comes, inhabit the body that will grow within you," he says softly.
"With this," Jiraiya says suddenly, drawing Sakura's attention to the tall white haired man, "all the nations will be saved and you will also be protected." Sakura pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. Jiraiya hesitates a moment before adding, "This will save everyone, Sakura. We need this."
Sakura nods slowly in defeat before steeling herself. She was a loyal shinobi to the Hidden Leaf and so long as she thought of this as just another mission to protect it and the people it protects and is allied with. She can do this.
The Fourth Hokage kneels down in front of her and quietly asks that she lift her shirt. Sakura blushes. This is the first time anyone had every asked her for such a thing, but this was important and not something she should be treating as anything other than the up most seriousness. With that thought in mind, she sombers and straightens up. She obeys, revealing the smooth plane of her flat stomach. The Fourth reaches out and touches her abdomen and it begins to glow a bright white. Sakura's body flushes hot, then cold before the kneeling man disappeared into nothing.
The young medical shinobi looks around confused. She looks to Jiraiya for an explanation but he's looking up at the false sky, mumbling something under his breath to himself. He sighs and lowers his head to stare at the girl.
"You're going to wake up soon," Jiraiya says walking over to the small girl. "Sakura, listen closely. Are you listening?" Sakura nods. "As soon as you wake up, you must go. You must raise Minato's soul in secret. No one must know that he will be reborn-" Jiraiya hesitates for a slip second before making up his mind. "No, strike that. Only Tsunade many know, do you understand? No one else. Not Naruto, not Kakashi, no one."
Sakura shakes her head. "How am I to avoid them knowing if I'm in the village with..." her eyes widen and it feels like she's been punched in the gut. "Are you saying I have to leave Konoha?" Jiraiya nods solemnly, looking sad by it. "No! This is wrong! I am not leaving Konoha! If the Fourth's soul will save us, then he must stay within the Leaf Village!"
"Sakura, no. Listen to me. No one must know that he is being reborn, okay? If he is going to be able to save anyone he has to live long enough to regain his memories," Jiraiya says, gripping Sakura's shoulders tightly. Sakura shakes her head, wanting to believe that there is some other way to raise the Fourth's soul within the village, but every tiny suggestion she whispers out just earns her a shake of Jiraiya's head.
"I can't leave my home," Sakura croaks. The mere thought of leaving Konoha for at the very least thirteen years to when he's considered old enough by shinobi standers to start making his own decisions. Hopefully by then he will have regained his memories and be able to tell Sakura what to do next. Just thinking that made Sakura realize that she doesn't have a choice. If she has to do this to protect all of the people she loves, then what is a few years away?
"I'm sorry, Sakura," Jiraiya says. "I'm so sorry."
The small pink haired girl smiles sadly. "I am... ready to go, Master Jiraiya." She hesitates. "Are you sure I can't say anything to Naruto? Only Lady Tsunade?"
"Only Tsunade," Jiraiya says. "Now go, Sakura, and please, be careful."
Sakura nods slowly, smiling forcefully, trying to hide her nerves. This will be the first time away from her friends and family. Naruto is going to be going crazy. What is she going to do if she runs into him and he begs her to come home? Will she be able to have a strong enough resolve to fight him on it? Sakura wouldn't be able to think so. She'll just have be careful and stay under the radar.
Kami, Sakura can't believe that she is actually thinking this through. She is going to leave her village. Her family. She is going to abandon her friends in the middle of war time. Tsunade would never let her go. How will she ever convince her stubborn Master of something she herself is so uneasy about? Sakura presses her lips tightly together and bows respectfully to the old sage.
"Good luck," Jiraiya's voice is soft and when Sakura looks up, everything goes black.
