a/n: This is my first Naruto story and I did a lot of research to write this. I love the idea of Sakura/Minato, but I also love the idea of someone traveling back in time to save them. It makes for an amazing plot. And a confusing one at that. I want mine to be different from the others, lol. I do not own Naruto or hid dad (unfortunately) or the profile picture for the story.
-This chapter isn't as long as I wanted it to be because of Naruto himself, not because I got lazy and didn't want to wright.
-I use mainly the English version of techniques/jutsu unless I find a reason not too: such as the kunai that Minato uses, instead of calling them Flying Thunder God Kunai EVERY SINGLE DAMN TIME, i'll just call them by their Japanese name, instead. Cool?
-Starting next chapter, chapters will be much longer. Much, much longer.
-Please leave me some reviews. I want to hear about your questions, your concerns, or if you find a flaw in my otherwise perfect strategy. Please?
"what kind of man would i be
if i accepted defeat
what would my eulogy read;
here lies a wasted soul
what would my destiny be
what sort of life would i lead
consumed by apathy
spinning out of control..."
-Matter of Time, Five Finger Death Punch
No matter how many times Sakura breathed her life into him, no matter how many times she rubbed her thumbs along an aorta, counting to three before she squeezed her hand, Naruto's heart wasn't speeding up; it was only getting slower by the minute. It was a fact she was desperately trying to ignore. Naruto never have up on anything, so why would she? She would be damned if she let him down now.
Please Naruto, everybody needs you. We need you.
Sakura clenched his heart once more. I need you.
"Naruto's girlfriend, I am in need of a favor." At the sound of the new voice, Sakura jumped up, kunai in hand, and took a defensive position; ready to protect her comrades.
Seeing as it was the Fourth Hokage, she relaxed as much as she could under the circumstances and turned to Gaara.
"It's alright, Gaara. He's Naruto's dad." She turned back to the Kage and offered a gentle smile before returning to Naruto, continuing to manually pump his heart.
"I'm sorry, Lord Fourth, but I don't think this is the time." She turned to Gaara again. "Keep an eye out?" He disappeared without a word.
"I am aware of that. However, I have something that could save us. My final ace, if you will." He kneeled down next to his son and brushed some hair away from his face.
Sakura paused in her motion before resuming her task. Konoha's Yellow Flash was one of the best Shinobi the ninja world has ever seen. Disregarding the fact he was her Fourth Hokage, if he was asking somebody else for help and not doing it himself, then it meant either of two things: one, it's big. Or two, he himself is unable to do it, and that prospect just lead Sakura to more questions.
Or it could be both. She sighed and gave the Hokage her attention. "What is it?" She watched as he pulled out one of his special kunai and laid it on Naruto's chest.
"I was saving it for an emergency for either Kushina or our child, but I didn't have the opportunity to actually activate it. I would have done this sooner had I realized I had it on me." Sakura didn't say anything as his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. He placed one of his "regular" kunai between them.
"How is this one different from the rest of your usual ones?"
"Are you aware of the Time Reversal Technique the Anbu use to recover lost memories during interrogations?" Sakura looked for any give-aways on his face but his black reanimated eyes were lifeless, giving no hint as to what he was thinking.
"Yes. Naruto told me about it. He said they told him it was almost like traveling back in time."
"Exactly. I took that concept and expanded on it. It took me a better part of a year to complete it, but I managed it." Sakura stalled. As the thought formed in her head, she thought herself crazy. Taking her hand out of Naruto's chest, she ran her hand through her hair, not caring about the blood.
"You're not…"
"No, I'm not." Her Fourth Hokage looked her in the eyes, his black ones pinning her there with a determination she could plainly see. "You are."
Neither of them said anything. She had a feeling he was giving her the opportunity to let what he was planning sink in, to weigh the options. Sakura looked at her left hand and rubbed her fingers together, feeling Naruto's blood thicken. Tenderly, she placed that hand on the right side of her forehead and dragged it across her face, leaving a trail of his blood in its wake. She sniffed and wiped her nose. She glanced at the kunai.
"How does it work? Why me? Why not you?" Her heart thundered in her chest and she almost started gasping for air. But she wouldn't. Not in front of the Hokage.
"I cannot because the jutsu keeping me alive wouldn't reach wherever I go. I would entrust this with Naruto, but he is in no shape to be doing it, and I cannot ask the Fifth Hokage because she is needed here." Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. "I also do not have the time to pick the perfect person. You have shown true leadership and adept skill at adjusting to situations, and that is what I require."
"I appreciate the sentiment my Lord, but this jutsu…if you want me to carry this out, I need to know what it does."
"It locks onto my presence, my chakra, no matter where or when." Her eyes widened. "It will bring you to myself when I was alive, hopefully at an appropriate time, and it can bring you back here by locking onto my chakra once again, whether it be me or in one of my kunai's. However, I was only able to make one so you only get one chance at this. If something goes wrong and the past me is able to create a new one, the probability of it actually being able to lock onto my chakra from this time is nil. You must face that hard truth."
It's a harsh reality.
Sakura's hands tightened around Naruto's, silently begging for him to miraculously wake up and save them all, like he always does. Her eyes watered, she didn't want to leave his side. She hated the thought of it.
"What would I do? How long would it take?" Her voice was soft, almost pleading and to the point of whining.
"This is your chance to go back and do what I was unable to do – stop a war, save countless lives. Save my son. Save Konoha. For me, please."
There was almost nothing in the history books about the Fourth Hokage but Sakura was sure he wasn't a man who got on his knees and begged anybody for their help very often. But the desperation in his voice wasn't something to argue with and it rocked her to the core. She placed Naruto's hand on her cheeks, leaned into it, closed her eyes, and let the tears finally fall.
"It would take you as long as you needed it to take – you can't stop a war in one day. As for when you get back here, I am unsure. Depending on the outcome of your actions in the past, you could end up at any given time after I have created the Hiraishin Kunai and placed them throughout the Leaf."
Her tears fell on Naruto's face. "And Naruto? What about him? What happens if he isn't born? What if-?!"
"I believe the saying goes: 'Fate finds a way.' His mother and I weren't meant for this world but we are grateful for the time we had with him here. If something happens to either Kushina or I, then it just wasn't meant to be. Some things just can't be helped." His deep voice trailed off into a lighter tune. It rattled her bones.
Sakura looked at the Yondaime, ready to voice her fears. "But I -!"
"Don't let it worry you. Going to the past will have consequences, no matter what. Do not let it discourage you and get in the way of your mission. Do what is right for Konoha, for the future. Protect your friends. Protect your home. Protect Naruto."
Protect your Hokage. It goes without saying.
"Do it."
Sakura and Minato's eyes snapped down to see Naruto looking at her through half-lidded eyes, his breath coming in long, shallow intervals. She meets his eyes and she swears, at the moment, she'd do anything to protect the people she loved. Reaching a hand down, she cups his face with one hand and smiles as he leans into it. Hope flickers through her eyes briefly as she props him up in her lap and brushes away dirt from his face. His eyes never left hers, nor did they waver. She wasn't sure if he knew his dad was right there or not, but she'll take what she can get. She had the feeling he wouldn't mind – Naruto never was shy about things.
"Save us, Sakura." The resolve in his voice made her choke out a sob. Naruto stretched out a hand and touched his fingers to her cheek, brushing away a tear. "I believe…in you." She shifted around until she covered his hand with one of hers and solemnly nodded.
"I love you." Sobs wracked her body as his body sagged and she quickly wrapped him in her arms so he wouldn't hit the ground. Sakura buried her face in his hair and let out another sob. "Ohnonononono. This can't be happening. Oh god, please Naruto, don't die! I love you, too! I need you here, alive and with me!"
Minato watched on as this Sakura girl clung to his sons dead body like it was going to disintegrate and fly away with the wind. He felt tears pile up and his already dead heart die even more.
Sakura knew the risk was high. She could save all of Konoha, her friends. Sasuke She could save Naruto. But at what cost? If she went through with this, there was guarantee that her friends would still be the same, or even alive when, or if, she returned. There was no guarantee that she would succeed in her mission to begin with. She could fail on the first day and all this would be for nothing. There was no security in that.
She looked at Naruto and rethought the situation. What would he do in this situation? He wouldn't think twice before doing it. Not once since he was a child has he given up his dream of becoming a Hokage, even in the face of War. Her tears stopped at the thoughts. He wouldn't care about the consequences, he would do anything to save his friends and his home. Ignoring the Fourth Hokage, she silently laid Naruto on the ground, his head rolling to the side, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Her mind made up, she stood and looked into the dead eyes of the Yondaime.
She spoke with a stern voice that echoed her determination and love. "Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Village of the Leaves: I swear to you this; I will protect our home, our friends," she choked, "our…loved ones. I shall protect you and your family. I will not rest until this is set straight. I will not let you down."
She was sure he was blushing under that dead skin of his, if his taken aback expression was anything to go by. He coughed.
"Good." The Namikaze stood behind her, his right hand out. "Do you mind?" He offered a small smile.
She hesitated a moment, gulped, and then nodded. He was going to mark her. She wasn't familiar with it and she didn't know if it was reversible, but she would let him. She tensed as he put a cold hand on her spine. She felt a small electric current course through her body and the rhombus on her forehead tingled.
He entered her line of view again. "A failsafe."
"I need to know the rules."
He smiles. "Try to keep things as they are, that's a given. However, like I said before: some things cannot be helped and certain things that are here in the present will not be if a certain event occurs in the past. Fate will always find a way."
Simple. But her eyes still wavered. "I understand. But…" She glanced down at Naruto.
"You have to trust me, Sakura. We all appreciate the time we had with him, and if something happens to Kushina or I then it was not meant to be. The best we can do is to keep him alive by remembering him, talking about him, and living the way he would want us to live."
She would do it. For Konoha. For Naruto.
"Yes sir. But how will they trust me? I'm aware of Inoichi Yamanaka's technique, but what if he's dead? What if-!" There were many possibilities of something going wrong and it was unnerving, almost shattering her resolve.
The Yondaime Hokage just chuckled at her. He handed another one of his special kunai's to her. "You'll be fine. Take this extra kunai for added protection."
"But…" She glanced at the dirt.
"Besides, there's always my mark." He chuckled again.
Sakura sighed and glanced at Naruto, winced, and sighed again. "Alright. Let's do this."
"Right." He held up his hands to make the appropriate hand signs but Sakura stopped him.
"Sir, uhm…" Blowing out a heavy breath, she brushed a bloodied hand through her hair and tried to calm her unsteady heart.
"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow. She breathed in and looked into his black eyes.
"I just thought you should know, in case it never get's said, that Naruto always looked up to you ever since he was a child. He always thought you were the best Hokage, always prattling on about how he was going to be cooler than you. He wanted to be like you, ya know?" Her eyes softened at his stunned expression. "And, I think I speak for not only Naruto, but the entire Leaf Village as well when I say this, but, you were the best Hokage. You were a true Hokage."
Sakura smiled as wide as she could and didn't mind that the Yondaime didn't say anything as he activated the seal. She put picked up Naruto's hastily discarded jacket from the ground and slipped it on, feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment at the fact, and sheathed the extra weapons. She cast one last glance at Naruto, knowing this may well be the last time she ever saw her friend.
"I have complete faith in you, Sakura." With tears falling from her eyes she waved goodbye to the man giving them a second chance and closed her eyes.
And immediately snapped them open and something clawed at her ankle. "What the-?!"
It was Madara, crawling on his stomach. How had they not noticed his presence? Sakura didn't have time to think about it as she and Madara disappeared in a yellow flash.
Minato berated himself on not keeping up with his surroundings. How could he be so careless? Hopefully his instinct about the woman was right and she would be able to handle herself when they landed. If not, then all was lost.
No. I refuse to think like that. Minato narrowed his eyes, clenched his fists, and thought out a possible scenario. The woman successfully wards off Madara and convinces the Third Hokage; I've given her enough proof. They immediately set out and prevent the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Minato knew it was a stretch, but he had to believe in this Sakura. If his son believed in her, then he could too. He had too.
Naruto…my son.
Minato brushed the side of Naruto's cheek with his left hand, his only hand, and succumbed to his emotions. His son was dead. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to arrive with enough chakra to implant the Yin side of the Nine Tails inside Naruto, but he only had enough for one thing. He was utterly exhausted.
Minato cried for his lost son. "My precious boy." He was grateful for the time he was allotted to spend with him and will always cherish those few small moments as a father, but damn it! Minato slammed his fist against Naruto's chest as he chocked back a sob. He wanted to be a family! With Kushina and their son and himself and their small home.
He could accept that it would never happen, but he wanted his son to live and grow as he had. Strong, independent, someone everyone could be proud of. And while he was aware his son had accomplished all of those things, if not more, he didn't want this for him. Not to die like this.
"There were so many things I wish I could've done, Naruto. I wish…I could've seen you grow up, register you for the academy and help you study for a test. I wish I could've taught you all of my fighting techniques and eventually given you your own special kunai, too." Minato squeezed his eyes closed. "I wish I could've seen you fall in love with Sakura for the first time. To eat dinner as a family in our own home. To walk you home from training. To just…spend time with you."
As his tears pooled on Naruto's skin, the Yondaime Hokage buried his face in his son's stomach and wept for the things that were never brought to fruition.
"I'm so, so sorry."
a/n: "It's a harsh reality." can be interpreted as being thought by both Sakura and Minato. "Protect your Hokage/ it goes without saying." Is the same way, though in more favor of Sakura. Thanks for reading this and please let me know what you think, I highly appreciate it!
