Hi there! So, I'm trying my hand at MadaSaku. This is because I read a story on the favourite list of someone who reviewed Crossroads, and I ended up hooked. ;)

(And that's exactly how I ended up in the Dramione shipping, too.)

I wanted to do a time travel one, and I noticed that in each one, Sakura is the only one who goes back. At least, so far as I have read. So I stuck Sai, Yamato, and Sasuke with her. I wanted Naruto and possibly Kakashi there as well at first, but I feel better with the way I have it now.

So anyway, I suck at fight scenes, but there are two in here. They're nothing grand, but I hope they're at least not pathetic. :(

In any case, disclaimer that I don't own Naruto, and enjoy!

Subete Kako Ni

Chapter One

Sakura sighed.

Staring out at the landscape before her, she let her mind wander as she stood on guard. Two weeks ago, their brand new Hokage, her old sensei Kakashi, had sent them out here on a mission to track down a rogue ninja who'd stolen a scroll with a forbidden jutsu in it. It had been two years since the war had ended, and even though missions were down, there were still enough to keep the village secure, like this one.

The rogue in question was a rather despicable character, always preferring to prey on the weak. The ex-Kiri-nin was wanted in four out of the five shinobi nations, though Iwa had an agreement that if they found him, they'd hand him over to Kiri. The others, naturally, just wanted him gone because of what he'd done in their country. For Konoha, it was for the theft of forbidden scrolls and the slaughter of three innocent families in the past six months.

At this point, they were in Hot Springs country, close to the border of Frost. Their target was spotted a few days ago, headed down from Frost country, and they were here to intercept him. Sai had several ink birds out, whilst Yamato had two wood clones searching as well. The three of them were in constant contact via radio, Sakura had only recently checked in. Unless something happened, there wouldn't be a need to for another half hour.

Keeping watch was the only thing they could do until the target was spotted. She sighed once more keeping herself on alert as she kept watching the road. Ishii Saburo had been known to travel the civilian roads in order to hide himself, which was why she was here. There was, of course, still the chance that he'd take the shinobi route, which was where Sai and Yamato were on the look-out.

"Sakura. Sai."

Yamato's voice buzzed through her ear, startling her. "Taichou," she immediately responded. "Has something happened? Have you spotted the target?"

"Yes, he's coming down from the east," Yamato said. "You two, get over this way now."

"We're on our way, Yamato-taichou," Sai's voice came through.

Sakura headed off to Yamato's last known location. "How far have you moved?" she asked. "Are you still in the same place?"

"I'm three kilometres north of where I was," came her taichou's voice. "There's a large boulder near three trees that are slightly bent you can use as a landmark. Sai, did you copy that?"

"Yes, Yamato-taichou," was their team mate's response.

Soon enough, Sakura found Yamato, who'd already engaged the enemy. As she joined him in combat, Sai also turned up. Their target sneered at them, then wove some complicated hand-signs, and soon, a barrage of water bullets came flying at them. Yamato threw up an earth wall to block it. While it was up, Sakura created a clone, then disappeared into the earth. Headed straight over to their target, she reached up and yanked him hard down into the earth.

It was over quite quickly then. "Head-hunter jutsu, huh?" Yamato said. "I had no idea Kakashi taught that to you. That was quick thinking with the clone, Sakura."

"Thanks," Sakura said with a smile. "So what now?"

"Now," Sai said, "we head back to Konoha."

Once they'd gathered up everything and disposed of Ishii Saburo's body appropriately, they headed off. They were a day and a half from the village, going at full speed, of course. Time passed as they travelled, and they stopped for the night just over the border from Hot Spring country, not that far from the Valley of the End. They should get back to Konoha late that following afternoon, as long as they headed out at first light.

Sai took first watch, waking Sakura after the allotted time for her own watch. Twenty minutes into it, and she realised someone was headed straight for them. She pulled out a kunai, on guard, until she realised she knew the chakra, and relaxed. A few moments later, and Pakkun leapt onto a branch opposite her.

"Hey Pakkun," she greeted. "Fancy seeing you out here."

"Humph, I take it your mission was a success?" he said by way of greeting.

"Yup, we'll be headed back in the morning," Sakura told him. "Though maybe you might have something different to say about that?"

"Let's wake the other two first," Pakkun said, leaping down to the clearing. "I only wanna say this once."

Once Sai and Yamato were awake, Pakkun gave them a new mission. "Kakashi received a message from Sasuke," he told them. "He's in that new town that popped up at the Fire end of the bridge to Wave, at the Giant's Toe Inn. Apparently he's got some sensitive scrolls to hand over, and he won't trust anyone that he doesn't know to get them to the village."

"Why doesn't he just go deliver them to Hokage-sama himself?" Sai asked, but Pakkun just shrugged.

"Well in that case," Yamato said. "Pakkun, do you think you could get the scroll we retrieved to the village?"

"Of course," the ninken said. "Strap it on my back and I'll head out now."

Once that was done, Pakkun bid them farewell, then he was gone into the night.

"It's going to take longer to get to Tarui town than it will to get to Konoha," Sakura said. "Should we leave now, or still wait for morning?"

"We'll wait for morning," Yamato said. "Sai, can your largest bird carry all three of us? It would make the trip quicker."

"Yes, taichou," Sai answered. "It should get us there mid afternoon if we leave at first light."

"Alright, Sakura you're back on watch for a bit," Yamato said. "We'll leave straight off in the morning."

OoOoO

Tarui town was a bustling hub of activity, thanks to the income the bridge had brought about. Merchants from all over stopped here, plying wares either before moving on to Wave, or after coming out from there. Sakura had only been here twice before. Once, when it was in it's early stages, and again, shortly after the war. Both times the town had been subdued, due to its infancy, then the financial hit after the war.

The inn Sasuke was apparently at was unknown to them, and they had to ask for directions. It was near the bridge itself it seemed, and the person who told them that tried to recommend a different place, saying that the inn was a place that only the shady types frequented. They'd simply thanked him and headed out. Sakura kept alert for any signs of Sasuke's chakra as they moved through the streets.

Once they found the inn, she grimaced. It was definitely not the sort of place that she would care to frequent. Why on earth would Sasuke want to meet someone here? Sakura shared a 'look' with her team mates, then took a deep breath before they went in. Every head in the place turned to look at them when they entered, but just as quickly, turned away. All eyes were still on them, though, surreptitious glances being all they received.

Sasuke was there, at a table in a darkened corner. His visible eyebrow rose at the sight of them as they made their way over, his other brow hidden by the hair that fell over the eye that housed his rinnegan. They made their way over and sat at the table with him.

"I wasn't expecting you three," he remarked as his greeting.

"Pakkun told us that you apparently wanted someone you knew," Yamato said.

"True," Sasuke conceded. "Still, it's a surprise." He turned to Sakura. "A pleasant surprise."

"I guess we're the only ones who fit the bill that were out on a mission," Sakura shrugged after she rolled her eyes at him. "Pakkun said you have something for us?"

"Yes, but I won't hand it over in here," Sasuke said. "Do you see those three by the bar? The ones not even bothering to look inconspicuous."

Sakura glanced over, noting the ones he spoke of. "Who are they?" Sai asked.

"They've been tailing me for some time," Sasuke said. "Apparently they didn't like the fact that I 'liberated' several forbidden scrolls from them."

"They look like they want to kill you," Yamato remarked calmly.

"Can't you go anywhere without upsetting someone?" Sakura asked, glaring when Sasuke just smirked at her.

"We should head out, try to lose them outside the town," Sai said. "Though if they're skilled enough to track you…"

"I'd actually lost them a few days ago," Sasuke said. "It's just dumb luck on their part that they found me again."

They stood then, and Sasuke went to pay for his meal and drink, before they headed out into the streets. "There will likely be more than the three waiting for us when they decide to attack," he told them once they were moving through Tarui. "Last count I had of their numbers, there were maybe fifteen of them."

"The four of us should be adequate to handle those numbers," Sai said.

Once out of the village, they were five minutes on foot along the road, then twenty minutes travelling at shinobi speed, before kunai with exploding tags came flying at them, forcing them to stop. A large number of enemy ninja appeared, at least twenty, though Sakura could sense at least a dozen more hidden from view. She glared at Sasuke.

"Fifteen, you said?" she asked accusingly.

"I said maybe," he told her. "Concentrate on them, not me."

Sakura scoffed. "Whatever," she said, then leapt forward, punching the ground. The earth shattered and five or so of the enemy lost footing as they all attacked.

The fight was on then. Sakura trusted her comrades to handle themselves as she launched herself at her enemy. Three of them came at her head on, but they were easily put down with a well timed kick here and two punches there. Then more came at her, wielding kunai. Sakura drew her own kunai to deflect their attacks, then launched a kick at one man, sending him flying into his comrades.

As the hidden enemy joined the fray, she could hear the sound of Sai's ink animals and Yamato's wood release, as well as the distinct sound of Sasuke's chidori. Sakura paid attention to it only lightly, just enough to let her know her comrades were still in the fight. Pretty soon, they had the thirty or so men reduced to about eight, but they'd all been driven together in one spot as their enemy surrounded them.

"Uchiha!" one of them yelled. "I'm gonna make you and your friends pay for what you've done!"

Sasuke merely 'hn-ed' as he shot a fireball at the man. "Argh! Everyone! Formation now!"

The eight remaining ninja immediately got into position around them and started weaving hand signs. "Shit!" Sasuke cursed. "They're using a forbidden technique! Get in close to me!"

Sakura, Sai, and Yamato leapt away from the enemy and to Sasuke, who'd pushed his hair back to uncover his rinnegan. Once the enemy jutsu was complete, Sasuke launched his own to counter it. It seemed to be working, he was nullifying the enemy jutsu. But then all of a sudden, it wasn't. Sasuke swore again as he furiously worked his sharingan and rinnegan, trying to regain the upper hand.

"Should you really be doing this?" Sakura asked, eyes wide in concern as both of his eyes started bleeding.

"Would you rather die?" he demanded, a bit too soon as suddenly, the enemy jutsu exploded.

Right there with Sasuke, they were protected in some sort of bubble. But Sakura could hear the enemy scream, and realised with horror that they were burning alive. She could barely make out the black flames of Amaterasu licking over their bodies, before suddenly there was silence. Sasuke's control over his jutsu wavered, and the protective bubble they were in shattered. As soon as it did, Sakura felt like all of her chakra was being drained, and it was all she could do to remain standing. Dimly she registered that Sai and Yamato were having difficulties as well, but Sasuke had collapsed to his knees, hands over his eyes.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried, trying to move forward, but then she collapsed as well, a dark pit opening up to envelop her senses.

So how was it? I wanted it to be longer, and ended up rewriting it a couple of times, but this was where I wanted it to end, so whatever. I generally try to make the word count of my first chapter in stories to be the minimum for the length of each chapter, prologues not included, so that means at least two thousand or so each chapter.

Review please! :)

Subete Kako Ni: All in the past. Google translation.

Tarui: A Japanese town in the Gifu prefecture.

Ps: Really wanted to upload this yesterday, but FF had issues. :P