AAH! I feel like such a horrible story. I haven't updated any stories in over three months! 8hits self* I'm so sorry to anyone who actually reads my works. I swear, I will be posting more often. I was having trouble in shcool, trouble wiht life, had family die, sent to jail... It was just hectic.

Anyways, her's the first chapter.


Chapter 1 - I Used To Be a Soldier:

Ugh… Why is it so bright? Sakura asked herself mentally as she slowly sat up, but, she had to strain slightly to do so. She felt groggy, sore, and sort of week all over her body. She hesitantly cracked her eyes open, wincing ever so slightly. She didn't understand; why everything was causing her so pain? Had she been given some sort of drug? The pinkette couldn't be sure on the answer to that, but she at least knows she isn't physical injured, she wouldn't even have to be a medic to determine that fact without giving herself a once over. Her discomfort and aches weren't from sharp pains resonating from different points on her body to cause her in whole to ache and hurt, it was more like her entire body was just struggling to do simple things, and that it hurt it too perform even a simple task like taking in the light to see at first. It's like she's never actually been in this body, like she had been forced into it. Like trying to ram a puzzle piece for a ten-piece square puzzle into a space for a piece of a 100 pieced puzzle. It's like she's out of place…

Or out of time… A small voice whispered this in the back of Sakura's mind, and the girl flashed her eyes open wide despite their ache from the light, all memories flooding back to her about what happened. The memories of the war fought and somehow won, the blood, the bodies, their friends and family all practically dead, Neji and Sasuke both gone, and then that last glimpse of Tsunade falling to the ground before the light completely consumed all thought and sight. The pinkette girl's jade green orbs finally focused, and she blinked at her surroundings. She recognized where she was, but it was so different. She hadn't even been here until she was later in life, and if what she thought worked, worked, then she shouldn't have any reason to be here. Instantly, though, Sakura remembered she wasn't the only one that should be worried about. She snapped her head around in every direction, but only a few seconds before her eyes landed on the young brunette asleep in the bed next to her as she herself lay on the floor.

"Tenten, wake up!" The girl who had just been called groaned, the loud voice killing her ears. What the hell, can't people ever just let her sleep once day in peace! The girl was about to tell whoever was trying to wake her to go away, in a very unladylike way that would involve some 'very interesting' words, but she froze as she recognized the voice. It was a lighter, slightly more high-pitched tone of voice she had gotten used to over the years, and she only remembered it from long ago. And, as she heard that voice, all of the technical day prior came flooding back into the young brunette's awareness, like water would out a suddenly broken dam that kept it in one place. All the pain, wounds, dangers, sorrows… "Sakura!" Tenten shouted, shoving herself up, but ended up rolling off of the bed as she went to drop back down to her sore arms. And, as a result of the girl falling to the ground, she landed on top of the pink haired girl in call, so both were now on the ground, laying on their backs once the brunette girl rolled off of who cushioned her fall.

Sakura and Tenten each lay on their backs a moment, simply taking deep breaths in and out. They soon glanced over at each other, jade-green gems meeting deep-chocolate pools, and that meeting remaining in contact for one long moment before each set of eyes wandered to take in the other's appearance; slightly less amounts of muscle, smaller frames, shorter limbs, younger, slightly more childlike, faces, and less 'maturity' in certain parts of each body. "It really worked… Didn't it?" Tenten asked softly, and Sakura nodded before replying with, "Of course it did. Tsunade may be bad at gambling, but I'd never bet against her." Both girls looked at each other, smiles slowly creeping to their faces, and then moments later they each wrapped each other in a tight embrace. Heads buried into the other's shoulder, slightly shaken breaths rocking both bodies as they held back tears of shock, gratification, and sorrow, but also joy all due to the now fallen blond woman in the future.

The females broke the hugging contact after about two minutes time, they each wiping at their now slightly dampened cheeks and eyes. "What should we do now? I mean, I know we'll have to find them soon, but what should we do first?" Tenten inquired of her pink-haired partner of time travel. Sakura blinked at the question she was asked, pondering on it a moment before asking, "Did you still have a calendar on the wall of your living room at this age like you do in the future?" Once receiving a nod of yes, the pinkette then continued with stating, "Well then, I believe we should check that first. I think it be best if we know exactly what time we were sent back too." Both girls headed towards the exit of Tenten's bedroom, that being where they were, before they each froze from the sudden pounding of Tenten's front door to her apartment, and the shouts that seemed to be coming from the same place.

"I'll answer the door, you check the calendar real quick." Tenten said in a hushed voice, she receiving a nod of agreement from the pinkette. As they headed off towards the living room of the apartment, and also towards the front door by heading in that direction, they passed a mirror hanging in Tenten's hallway. They were in their outfits of genin days, had the haircuts of then, and were wearing their headbands. The only thing they didn't have on them was their ninja sandals and ninja bags, but as soon as they passed through the threshold of the living room, they saw both sets of things they were missing on the couch. They both, at the same instant, gave the Tsunade of large props for her accuracy and detail with that. The Haruno girl quickly ran over to the calendar, she checking the date and seeing that the entire page it was flipped too was completely empty of dash marks to mark the days that had already passed. She silently swore, and then hurried over to Tenten just as the brunette got to the door. The shouts and pounding on the entrance sealer where even louder now that they had gone on longer, and that they were closer to it.

As soon as the door was opened by the once young again brunette, both girls were greeted by the angry faces of almost all the people in Tenten's apartment building, and the once in the very front that looked the most furious of all, was Tenten's sixty year old landlord, Miss Takahashi. She was a silver hair woman, her face wrinkle-worn, and in a pinched-looking fashion. She also wore way to much powder blue eye-shadow and red lipstick now, and in the future. She says it's to keep young and beautiful but Sakura and Tenten had muttered under their voice plenty a time that it's so she can really just look cheap, easy, and stupid. They usually weren't mean, but that woman pushed they're buttons just the right way.

"You," The old woman began, she pointing a brittle finger at Tenten. "You, little brown-haired brat and her little pink haired friend, both of you explain yourselves right now!" The woman exclaimed while the rest of the, well, mob shut up almost simultaneously. The two young kunochi females blinked confusion clear on both of their face, what the heck where they supposed to be explaining? "Explain what, Miss Takahashi?" Tenten asked slowly, slight hesitation in her voice. "You know exactly what you have to explain!" The woman shouted, and the crowd of people chanted shouts of agreement before the old woman then continued, "First, you both go missing for a week, and then you miss paying me rent that was due two days ago. Now on the eighth day of you being gone, there is an earthquake, you're suddenly both back, and this apartment is the only one on this block in Konoha with power!" The woman had jabbed her boney fingers at both the girls mercilessly in the arm, her nails were like a dull metal blades. They didn't cut, but it still hurt like hell.

Both girls remained silent, neither knowing what to say at all. They had been "missing" for an entire week? Tsunade really had to wipe out an entire week of their existence just to have them in the same place with all the things they'd need? No wonder that time travel jutsu takes the life of the caster, apparently with accuracy come a price. The looks of the ground became fiercer, and still neither pinkette nor brunette girl alike knew what to tell the small mob. Just as Tenten was about to stutter out an answer, once that no one would likely believe and her landlord may evict her for just because of how cruddy of an excuse it would be, they were suddenly saved by a loud, booming, female voice shouting from the back of the mob down the hall, "All right, that's enough! All of you go back to your apartments." The entire crowd seemed to freeze, and then in what seemed less than two blinks of an eye, the people had spread, walked off back to their respected residences, and Tsunade stood in front of the two young females. The girls looked up at the woman, and Sakura was about to utter out a respectful thank you for her ridding of the mob in front of Tenten's apartment.

What stopped the girl from stating that thank you, though, is that as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, the blond woman instantly held up a hand to silence her. "Both of you follow me, to my office, right now." The woman stated bluntly, she then turning and starting to walk off. Sakura and Tenten both looked at one another hesitantly, and then slowly trailed off after the older woman. They knew what was coming, and that was an interrogation. They could feel it in their bones, and through the knowledge of the behavior and personality through the technical years they'd grown to known the woman through, that an interrogation was coming.

As they left the apartment building trailing Tsunade, like told by the same said woman, both young kunochi females looked around as they walked off through the village. It looked just as it did from their preteen years… Well, almost exactly. The earthquake had knocked down a bunch of tree branches, broken signs off of business, and there were a few shutters from windows, but nothing really major besides for some sobbing young children scatter about and being comforted by parents. It was very rare for an earthquake to happen in Konoha, it wasn't surprising that really young kids didn't know what it was yet. Their parents probably didn't see a reason behind telling them about it, and then likely having the asking all the time when the world was going to shake.

It took about twenties minutes time to get to the Hokage Tower, that being due to people keep trying to stop and ask Tsunade if she knew how fast it was going to take to fi the damages. They were minor damages, no doubt about that, but their where a lot of them. And, there was at least twenties blocks in Konoha without any power at all. She gave them all the same response, that response being; "Can't know for sure, but they'll be done as soon as possible. Hopefully all complete by the end of today since it happened so early." And then after what seemed like ages (even to the technically grown-up kunochi girls), they finally made to the tower, up the numerous steps, and o the Hokage office. Once there, Tsunade told them to sit, but the girls hesitated. There were no chair because usually whenever someone came in here, they just stood a few moment to gain information, and left. But, when Madame Hokage told them to sit again, they quickly dropped to the floor. They each sitting cross-legged and feeling like four year olds because of it.

"Aright girls, let's get down to business, shall we?" Tsunade questioned, and at her tone of voice, both young females gulped silently. They've heard that tone before, in the future. There was a time when they were believe to be imposters of themselves, because some sort of toxin an enemy used changed their chakra patterns completely for a short term of time and also make them lie about honest, and Tsunade had question down to every little private detail. She could tell when they lied, and Tenten and Sakura were lucky that the effects of the toxin wore off when they did. The blond woman wait, with an expecting look. She wanted them to respond to her question, even if it had seemed rhetorical.

"…Yes, Tsunade-sama, let's begin."


Yup! It's a cliff hanger! I want at least tow reviews before I start writing the next chapter, so deal with it. Peace! :)