Bygone

Part 1 • Headaches

It was dark out, the moon high and the stars bright. The cold wind blows harshly against trees and bushes. It's quiet and deserted in the streets. No one awake when a bright light flashes from the window on the second floor of a civilian home. No one is awake to witness it and no one is awake to hear the groans of pain and coughs of blood. No one is awake when a civilian girl of ten years disappears to be replaced by a woman of twenty-five years.

. I .

Sakura blinks several times before she closes her eyes shut as pain runs through her body. She bites her lips trying to suppress a groan. She turns to her side on the floor, curling into herself as more pain racks her body. A cough escapes her, spitting out blood. She does a quick diagnostic scan on herself.

Punctuated left lung, four cracked ribs, wound on the back and lower abdomen, some bruises, and scratches on the legs and arms. Great.

Sakura sighs to herself while healing her wounds. When she's done, she pushes herself on to her knees and coughs some more. She opens her eyes slowly and stares at the light pink carpeted floor. Her brows furrow and her eyes narrow. Where is she? What happened? She sits back and blankly stares at the yellow painted walls.

Hold on...Sakura quickly looks around and her eyes widen. No way...what's going on? Genjutsu? She quickly disperses her chakra out hoping to break the illusion. It doesn't work. She climbs to her feet and pulls her chakra into a non-existent level. She raises her guard as she walks around with soundless steps.

Enemy terrritory? If so, why would they replicate my bedroom from when I was a genin? What's going on?

Sakura enters the bathroom, it all looks exactly as it did when she was twelve. Staring into the mirror, she can see the bags under her eyes and the effects of only eating two energy bars a day weighing down on her. She sighs, pushing her hair back as she walked back to the room. Glancing at the window and door, she checks and finds them unlocked. Her eyes narrow.

Why would they leave me in an unlocked room? What is going on?

She walked out of the room into the dark halls. Felling two chakra signatures in one room to her right she quickly and quietly opened the door. It squeaked and she cursed under her breath. Her eyes widen and her breath caught

My parents...why would they set up an entire perfect simulation of my genin house? These people look exactly like my parents...

She closed the door and rushed downstairs. Her hands clenched as she glared at everything. It was all the same as she remembered. Sakura turns to rush out the building when a wave of nausea comes over her. She slowly dropped to her knees while cradling her head in her hands as it felt like someone was pulling it open with their bare hands.

( Blood. Bodies. Ashes. Dark.

"-kura! -ra! -kura! Sakura!"

Hazel eyes. Blonde hair. Tsunade-shishou.

"Hang on! "Listen -fully..." "-oo- a- -e! "Send -ou..-ack..time.."

Tears. Light. Pain. )

Sakura panted as tears slid down her cheeks. Shakily, she dropped her arms and pushed herself off the floor. She slumped against the nearest wall but continued moving, using the wall as support. She climbs the stairs and makes it inside the room she woke up in. She fell to the ground without a sound. She swallowed the lump in her throat and controlled her breathing. Steeling her emotions and reslove, she stood and walked firmly to the window by the bed. She pushed it open, sticking her head outside.

Quickly scanning the area, she looked for the thing that will clear her confusion. The Hokage Monument stood proudly with four faces craved on it. A knot of dread twisted in Sakura's stomach at a sudden realization.

Shishou sent me back in time...and I'm in my twenty-year-year old body! The hell?!

. II .

Sakura sat on the head of the Forurth Hokage's Head as she thought over her situation. She was sent back in time in hope of preventing the war. According to the calendar she found in her room, she's supposed to be ten-years-old. If she's still in her older body, a complication must have occurred. Her younger self is no where to be found. Sleepover is out of the question, as a pre-teen she didn't have many friends after her fight with Ino. Staying over with relatives is also out. All of her family's travel bags were still in the house and no clothes looked to be missing. With that, Sakura believes its safe to say she took her younger self's place. There can't be two of the same people in the same timeline it'd cause a paradox, the universe will automatically work to set things right to have one.

Sakura messages her temple as a sudden headache appears. She sighs and looks down to the village. Sakura had left the house in a panic. What if her parents (no, they're not her parents, her parents died) woke up and found her instead of her younger self? Things would be worse if she was caught. Thinking back on her moment of stupidity, she realizes that she had coughed up blood on the carpet. Sakura groans in frustration. Her parents (not her parents) will wake to find their daughter missing and blood, then be reported most likely kidnapped and never found. (How do you explain you're from the future? She can't give them back their daughter becuase she isn't their daughter.)

Running her fingers through her hair, Sakura lets out a huff of air in irritation. One solution, would be to use her Shishou's technique to look young again and play into the role but going through two years of the academy? She shakes her head. Then she stops, what if she graduated early? She quickly throws that out. There are multiple problems with that. The high chance of not being on Team Seven again, and the Council will want to use her.

A light and warmth of heat on her arm make her look up, the sun was rising. Sakura straightens out and tenses. She needs to leave. She can't be caught. She swallows and vanishes in a rush of pink.

. III .

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of Konohagakuare, also known as the Village Hidden in the Leaves. A famed shinobi of his time, nicknamed The Professor. Fought in the last two wars, trained under the First and Second Hokage, and exactly why he's too old for the things he deals with. Hiruzen sighs past the pipe between his lips as he glared at the paper on his desk. As Hokage, breaks are a rare thing. If only I can have some sort of distraction. Maybe I should visit Naruto, Hiruzen thought over excuses he could use to leave the paperwork.

There was a knock at the door. He looked up, in desperate need of a distraction. He calls out, "Come in." The door opens and his secretary (he should probably learn her name) peaks in. She steps in and bows slightly. "Sir, there's a couple downstairs requesting to speak with you," she says.

"Allow them up," he replies. She nods while closing the door. It's not long until a civilian couple walks in. He takes immediate notice of the tear stains on the wife's cheeks. He also recognizes them as the parents of one of the students in Naruto's class. Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki. What could they want?

"How can I help you?" He asks while motioning for the two to take a seat. They nod while sitting down. Mebuki takes in a breath before she speaks.

"It's about our daughter, Sakura," she starts off, her voice strained. Kizashi takes over, taking in the condition of his wife. He looks Hiruzen in the eyes, "She's gone."

Hiruzen blinks. There are different meanings to being gone. He takes in their condition once more, deducting that their daughter isn't 'gone' like most are in the shinobi line and having their name carved. "Gone? What do you mean by that?" He asks for more information.

"This morning, when Sakura wouldn't come downstairs for breakfast or respond to our calls, we went to see what was wrong," he pauses to swallow the lump in his throat, "She wasn't in her room. Her bed was made but it wasn't made the way she would do it in the mornings. There was also blood on the carpet floor. And-...," he stops for a breath, having been rambling. "And...we never heard a sound. Sakura is the worst at keeping quiet when she wants to be."

Hiruzen takes in the information with a heave of his pipe. What's being told to him, is that their daughter was kidnapped. This is most troubling. What the couple in front of him is suggesting, is that a shinobi took their daughter. Though, by their eyes, it isn't one of his shinobi. This is very troubling, he thinks while folding his hands together in front of his face. (This is what he get for wanting a distraction.) He inwardly sighs before he nods to the couple. "I'll send a tracker team to your house as soon as possible. We'll figure out where your daughter is," he says. They smile gratefully and thank him before leaving.

He leans back in his chair. His expression is thoughtful and hard. "Send for Team Jushin," he called out. One of his ANBU dropped down and bowed before leaving to do as ordered.

As Hiruzen waited, he went over several reasons for a kidnapping (A civilian kidnapping). He wasn't left to his thoughts for long as the team he sent for arrived. It starts with one and soon others will be gone too. Hiruzen won't pass off a kidnapping of a civilian if it meant that Konohagakure's other future shinobi will be gone as well. Especially with all the clans in Konohagakure.

. IV .

It was mid-afternoon when Sakura decided to rest. She leaned back in the cave she found in a cliff side. She needed to think about her situation with a clear mind, not while running from her home. Sakura sighed and ran her fingers through her shoulder length hair. Realizing that her features can very much get her caught, she flashed through a set of handsigns. With little medical chakra, her pink hair faded into a light brown, just as her eyes bled into a hazelnut colour.

"This is a big mess," she mutters to herself while constantly checking for chakra signatures. Digging out a kunai, she inspected her new look in the metal. That's when she notices the distinctive mark on her forehead. She smiles slightly before frowning. "It'll give me away," she says while applying a small genjutsu over it. For reassurance, she moves her bangs over it.

Sakura wasn't too sure on what she had to do. She is needed in Konohagakure but she ran. I couldn't get caught, she reasons with herself. She looks outside the cave into the forest. Yet, if I stay in the Land of Fire, I'll definitely be caught. She purses her lips in thought for a moment.

Sakura tenses and stands up quickly. She jumps up to the ceiling of the cave while hiding her chakra more than she already had it hidden. Four figures land in front of the cave entrance. Staying in the shadows, Sakura can see the hitai-ate of Konoha on all of them. Her eyes widen and her breath stops. As the team of four walk further inside the cave, Sakura crawls closer to the entrance silently. She crawls out of the top of the entrance. She stands and bolts away.

While running, she takes out a scroll with one hand and the other goes to her neck. She pulls off her own hitai-ate from the war and seals it away. She looks down at herself quickly, checking for anything else that would give her away. My jounin vest, she thinks while taking it off quickly and sealing that away as well. Her body twists to the right, avoiding the barrage of shuriken thrown at her. She glanced back spotting the team from earlier. Looking forward, she puts her scroll away and pulls out several smoke bombs. Don't want to hurt them and my chakra is still recovering.

Stopping suddenly on a high branch, she jumps off with a back flip as the team caught up to her. When she's above their heads, she throws the smoke bombs down by their feet. She lands in a crouch and looks up in time to make eye contact before the team's vision was shrouded by black. Sakura took off the moment the bomb went off, subconsciously storing away their appearances for later. Being the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage and student of the Sixth can get her into a lot of places. During the worst times of wars, when she wasn't on the battlefield, she would read through the Village Archives. Reading and memorizing the many shinobi of her home. In retrospect, reading about the people that were sent out to die in a useless battle was probably not the best thing.

But, it made her feel connected to everyone. It made her feel like she knew them all. At the time, it was a way to numb her rapid thoughts of war by memorizing people's files. She had reasoned that it'd make helping her Hokage better. As Sakura ran, her thoughts were a torrent unable to stop. She shut down her mind into a numb state, reviewing the appearances of the team.

Team Jushin, she remembers them to be called. The oldest with dark brown hair and light brown eyes, close to a honey color around the pupil. He was the leader, Takeda Jushin. Was, Sakura realizes with a grimace, remembering the team's file. Died about four years before the Pein Attack on an A-rank mission, I had graduated at the time I believe. The second oldest was a female, she had a mix of blonde and brown hair, her eyes a light shade of green, Murata Kira. The third member is another male, shaggy blonde hair and faded blue eyes (kinda like Naruto but duller, she had thought when reading), Aria Hiroto. The last memeber of Team Jushin was another male. He had black hair and onyx eyes (almost like..., she had let the thought drift off) , Aoki Eito.

Sakura snapped to attention when she heard snap. She stopped and hid to the shadows. Her thoughts might of wandered but her body is still on guard. It's when she tried looking in the dark that she realized, she's looking in the dark. The sun had set and the night was rising. Sakura set the thought of not noticing earlier, away for another time. She focuses on the noise she had heard. Blending into the shadows, shallowing her breath and calming her heart beat, Sakura watched and waited with a kunai in palm. Her only light source is the full moon (she doesn't look up, doesn't look at the red that isn't there) above the treetops. The rustling of a bush and then a rabbit hops out by itself, illuminated by the moonlight.

The kunai is no longer in her hand but through the head of the creature. Sakura watches it twitch with dead hazelnut eyes. Her body stiff and unmoving. Standing, she realizes what happened. She realizes her reaction. She realizes that she isn't in the war anymore. That doesn't mean her paranoia will leave her though. Sakura grabs the kunai out of the corpse. Bolting without a glance back; the exent of where and when she is now, fully washes over her like freezing water.

Two years, she tells herself, two years until shit slowly starts to hit the fan. Two years to gather information, plan, and take action. A week of rest won't hurt. Hopefully.

. V .

Sakura has ran all night and into the morning. Her presence unknown to all as she ran. Her steps soundless, her breathing quiet, her heartbeat steady. She wasn't winded by how long she ran, she had run much longer in the war. Sakura never let go of red stained kunai she used to kill the rabbit. She didn't stop until there wasn't anymore land to run on (even though she could water walk, that would waste chakra) and she was staring out at seemingly endless ocean. It was all she could see for miles. Water. Water. More water. Some more.

"How'd I end up by the ocean?" She quietly questions herself.

She looks behind her at the forest. It wasn't the forest of the Land of Fire that she grew up in. It was different, she knew, but familiar. Then again, she's been in about every type of territory there is. Huffing slightly, Sakura sits on the shore for a small break. She laid on her back, her legs laying flat and her arms beside her in reaching distance of her weapons. With her back to the ground, she can see from all sides in case of an enemy. Unconsciously spreading out her senses, Sakura took the time to outline what she needed to do.

Though, before that, a loud rumble cuts through the air and Sakura tenses. When she hears it again, she's on her feet, kunai poised and ready. The third time it happens, her brows furrow in confusion. Sakura looks to her stomach when the noise cuts the air for the fourth time. She's hungry? Odd. She doesn't feel hungry. She been so used to not eating considering her base's food supply was cut off for months. They had been lucky no one died of starvation.

Slowly sitting back down, she takes out two ration bars packed into her pouch. Not the best, but it'll do. While eating on her ration bars, Sakura began to make a outline of the events and people that lead to the war. If she can't prevent the war, she'll have to make sure that they have enough allies. Maybe save the ones supposed to be dead. That way they can't be used against them. It's a start of a plan.

Now, what else to do? Well, first, she's in the past — two years before her graduation. Seeing how there is only her here and not her younger self, it's safe to assume that Konohakagure will pronounce her dead. Sakura grimaces at the thought of her loved ones grief. Then again, with out a body, they can always have hope which isn't good for her cover. So what? She'll have to manifest a body that looks like her? A shadow clone mixed with her blood can probably hold out till the funeral. Sakura messages at her temples. She can't believe that she's thinking over faking her death. It's for the best in the end, she thinks.

"Nothing I can do for their grief," she mutters to herself while steeling her resolve.

Second, the Akatsuki was a major factor in the war. She'll need to figure out how they are with their members and plans. They weren't much of a problem until after Naruto came back from training. But, how is she going to go about this? She can't just outright kill them. Well, not all of them. Definitely not Itachi. She had read the mission file for the massacre. She'll need to make sure he can come back to the village and get the right treatment for his disease. Which reminds her...

Danzō. He'll definitely need to go. Root needs to be disbanded. And maybe she can save Sai while she's at it. Sakura begins to wonder at what age Sai was when his brother Shin died. If she can save both and all the other children that would be great. But, how is she going to take down Danzō? It'll have to be discreet. She can't just jump him and slash his throat. Sakura wishes she can, but it'll be best if she didn't. Taking out the other two elders will also be beneficial seeing how they were manipulated by Danzō.

Then there's Orochimaru. While it's true that he joined their side during the war, he caused so many problems. He's the reason Sasuke left the village and from there Sasuke caused problems. Though a valuable asset Sasuke was during the war, Sakura couldn't bring herself to feel happy about it. She wanted to punch him across the land when he declared to aid them in the war. She wanted to scream and yell her refusal but held her tongue. They had needed all the help they could get. Doesn't mean she liked it.

Sakura sighed heavily. She only been back for what?, three days?, two? She can't remember. Her memories of the day she was sent back are still hazy. She can't remember if she was even given instructions on what to do. The week of rest she's taking will hopefully fill her in. And what are the side effects of time travel? It's obvious that the same person can't live in the same time. It's like a fight for dominance on who stays. But then there the fact that the one that stays has to fit into the time. Sakura being twenty-five doesn't strike her as 'fitting in'. She thought that she would have woken up as her ten-year-old self.

"Or would the process be slow?" She quietly questions aloud. "Damn this is too confusing! If only Shika was here.." she trailed off as she remembered why he can't be here.

( Mangled body. Arms? Legs?

Frozen expression. Dull color.

Lazy smile gone.

Match-lighter in pocket. )

She closes her eyes tightly and shoves the memories to the back of her mind. She doesn't need to remember their deaths, she just needs to remember them. The good times she's had with them. She'll never forget, never want to forget because in the end, it's a reminder for why she fights. It's her Will of Fire.

There's footsteps and Sakura quickly checks the chakra, cataloging it. Civilian, she realizes, That means civilization. She stays in her spot, hand curling right around the stained kunai. She shifts, hiding her weapon from view. A man steps out of the forest behind her and her muscles tense in anticipation for battle. The man though, doesn't take notice of her until he's almost by the shoreline. He blinks behind her in confusion.

"I didn't think someone else knew my fishing place," he muttered mostly to himself but Sakura still heard. A fisherman then, she notes as she watches him from her peripheral vision. She notes that he's been a fisherman for a long time by the way she held his fishing rod, the way he stands, the muscles in his arms for pulling and legs for standing one's ground, and the crate he holds in hands.

"Ya don't look like a fisher. Whatcha' doing here lady?" He asks.

"Planning murder," she says softly, changing the frequency of her voice making her sound like a man. The fisherman blinks and sputters, taking a step back. Now he's confused about her gender since all he can see is her back. The clothes are of a man, then again they can be gender equality. And theres the fact she's out for blood. He coughs and Sakura smirks a little.

This is kinda funny, when's the last time I had fun? Sakura questions mentally, trying to remember. She gives up on remembering at the moment. She stands up instead, back still facing the man.

"Where's the nearest town?" She asks softly with the voice of a male. The fisherman sputters again before closing his mouth shut. What if this person is gonna kill someone there?, he thinks to himself hesitantly. Sakura can practically hear his thoughts and rolls her eyes. She doesn't say anything though, this is most fun she's had in years.

The fisherman is conflicted. Tell the person what they want and be on his way or, possibly point them to where they'll just about murder everyone. He's silent for too long and Sakura gets annoyed. Sighing, she speaks again with the voice of a man. "Look," the man flinches at the sudden interruption of his thoughts. "I'm not going to hurt anyone there. Those I do want to hurt are miles upon miles away from here."

That's a bit reassuring the man guesses. A small part of him sighs in relief. At least this person isn't some rampaging serial killer with masochistic tendencies and enjoys it. (A man with silver hair and magenta eyes sneezes in the middle of a bloodbath that occurred from his hands.)

"J-just northeast of here I believe," he answers. Sakura nods and turns around to run. The man catches a look at her face before she's gone.

"It's a chic...she has a weird voice," he mutters when she's gone. "And that chic is a ninja too," he realizes with wide eyes. He stares in the direction Sakura ran to as his thoughts raced.

. VI .

"Ah, no wonder the area seemed familiar," Sakura mutters quietly to herself. It was hard not to remember this place. Though the memories weren't exactly pleasant, they were still important. She wonders idly, when the last she visited was? She shook off the thought, instead remembering her first time here, in the Land of Waves.

Her very first supposed-to-be C-Rank (but turned A-Rank) took place here. This was the place where she truly believes that Team Seven grew closer and even grew up a little. The mission had showed her a lot when she was younger. It showed all three of them a lot. They saw a bit of the dangers of their profession and of the outside world. She learned she needed to be better. Naruto and Sasuke developed a sibling-like bond. Both also learned that there will always be someone stronger.

Too bad they didn't act on those lessons sooner. Sakura sighed at her becomingly-depressing thoughts. She needed some rest. And food. And new clothing. She narrows her eyes while looking around. She would gladly drop dead in the middle of the street if she wasn't so damn paranoid. She shook it off while staying in the shadows.

It made her want to smile at how well the Land of Waves were faring. It seems that they weren't being ruled over by a shipping tyrant. For now, she thinks while she watches the people, it won't be for another year if I'm not mistaken.

That simple knowledge sparks an idea, one she isn't sure how to take. The past has messed up already, what's a little more tinkering?

Could I possibly help earlier? She ponders while she enters an inn unnoticed. But the mission was important to Team Seven.

Thoughts for another time she decides. She politely smiles at the woman at the front desk. It's not long before Sakura is locking the doors and windows to her room. She draws the curtains closed and she searches the room for anything suspicious. Her hand freezes from moving the bedside table when she remembers its peacetime. She sighs and resigns to just cleaning herself up.

Once she's in the restroom, door locked, she can only stare in the mirror. With a small jolt of her chakra, she dispels the jutsu changing her appearance. Now she stares into the dull green eyes that are hers, she stares at the pink hair from which she got her name. She undresses after turning the hot water on.

She can only stare at the scars that litter her body. She can remember how each one came to be. She can visualize it as if she was still in the frontlines. She could have healed the scars completely, but it was a waste of chakra. It was a reminder of her mistakes. It's one thing to make a mistake, Sakura thinks, and it's another to make the same mistake.

Stepping into the shower, Sakura stands under the water for the first minute. Just watching the water fall. Her mind too warped in its thoughts and memories. The water reminds her of the water users in the war. It reminders her of the rain of ash that fell from the dark clouded sky. The ash from the multiple explosions and fires that went off. The ash of all the bodies that had to be cremated. The bodies of shinobi from different villages. The bodies of different ages, varying from the old to those fresh out of the academy.

She takes in a shuddering breath and pushes those thoughts away. She needs to tend to herself right now. She can think of all else later. Right now, she needs to get cleaned and have a good nights rest.

Even in the hot water, the tension doesn't leave her muscles.

. VII .

News travels fast in a ninja village. So it was no surprise that the news of a missing ten-year-old civilian girl was the talk of the people only a day after it was reported to the Hokage. What was surprising was the fact, that a ten-year-old civilian girl is missing and went missing in the dead of night with no one noticing. Many mothers grew worried for their own children. Anyone with half a brain could figure out the person behind it is powerful if not skilled to have gone unnoticed in a Shinobi Village.

While many were worried, others were confused. What use is a civilian child? Sure the girl was in the academy but many know that there is no guarantee of actually passing. The missing girl herself was intelligent, yes, but physical she was weak. This was the talk amongst the shinobi on the matter. With the skill of the person responsible, one would think they'd have gone after someone from the clans (they are relieved that the kidnapper didn't but it's still worrying and puzzling). With these thoughts, security has been increased among the clans. Anbu have been stationed around the academy, keeping watch on any students that might peak the interest of the kidnapper.

It has been three days since the night ten-year-old civilian Haruno Sakura went missing. It's been three days since the academy has seen its pink haired student. It's been two days since Yamanaka Ino has spoken. She won't admit it aloud, but even when their friendship ended, she still considered Sakura a friend and looked out for her. When she first overheard a bunch of women conversing about a missing child, she was curious. When she heard her mother talking about it with some customers, she picked up the pieces.

Civilian. Academy student. Three days. Pink.

The realization had been a shock to Ino's core. She denied it with all her being. Then the next morning, when Ino passed by her childhood friend's house on her way to the academy, she has never seen anything look so depressing. She waited for her cherry haired friend to walk out. She stood by the gates for over two hours, late to the academy by an hour. The slow dread that pooled into her kept her quiet.

She did the same thing after the academy finished. Stood by those white-painted gates for over three hours. She only left when she saw her friend's mother peak out the window. Her face seeming to have aged ten more years. Her eyes red-rimmed and building with a fresh set of tears. Then, they made eye contact and Ino knew. She ran.

Her anger stemmed from an argument that occurred once she returned home. She cried into her mother's arms. Stayed there, hugging her mother like a life-line, until her father returned home. She now knew why he looked so stressed and tired for the last few days. She hugged him and started to talk. Her father asked something of her.

"Keep it a secret," he had requested. Her anger boiled. Her shout of anger was justified. Her fury grew with the new set of words that left his mouth. "We don't want a panic amongst the children. These are the Hokage's orders." Orders. Orders. She stomped out of the room with new tears in her eyes and her fists clenched painfully in fists.

What angered the Yamanaka Heiress the most, was that she wasn't informed, — her class wasn't informed — the academy didn't say anything. She was furious how her classmates dismissed her cherry friend's absence as being sick — sick, when she could be getting tortured or worse. Her silence wasn't unnoticed by her peers, but no one bothered to question the blonde.

No one but Nara Shikamaru.

Shikamaru wouldn't say he liked his classmate Sakura, but he also wouldn't say he disliked her either. It was perfectly normal for someone to miss out on long periods of times when sick. It depended on the person's immune system. So when his pink-haired classmate wasn't in class for three days, he paid no mind. He was relieved a bit, he'll admit, since she was one of the loudest fangirls in class. When his childhood friend, Ino, went quiet, he was at peace but couldn't stop the curiosity that wrapped around his mind. From what he could remember (of what he bothered to observe and pay any mind too), she would be preening at getting the Uchiha for herself since her 'rival' was sick (the same could be said when the roles reversed).

Shikamaru sighs, realizing he wasn't about to get any answers by sitting back. "Troublesome," he mutters as he begins to walk after the class for lunch, Choji by his side. Stopping by the academy doors, he looks around for a certain platinum blonde. It wasn't too hard to find her standing off to the side by herself, an angered expression on her face. Great, she's mad now? Ah well, I already decided to get answers today. Shikamaru sighs at his own thoughts.

Ino looks up to find herself looking at the faces of her childhood friends. Her brows furrow in slight confusion, what could they want with her?

"What's up with you?" Shikamaru asks flatly. He caught her off guard and made Choji look to him in confusion. "You've been quiet since the second day Sakura has been sick-" she scowls at the word and he doesn't miss it "-so, what's up?"

"Sick," she mutters in disdain, "Being kidnapped and missing and they want us to believe she's sick."

Now it was Shikamaru's turn to be caught off guard. Kidnapped? Missing? The hell? "What do you mean?" he asks carefully, fully aware that anything can set off her temper. Ino scoffs as she leans back on the academy wall, crossing her arms. "It's the talk of the village. Don't tell me you haven't heard?" He looks at her blankly, he isn't one for gossip. She rolls her eyes. "Well, its exactly that. Sakura went missing - kidanpped - and they want us to believe that she's sick when every adult into village is talking of their children being the next to be taken."

Choji quietly gasps next to him as his eyes widen. This was not what he expected when he decided to confront the girl. The air grew quiet and uncomfortable with the news. The three children unsure of what to say or so. Though, they all knew, they couldn't exactly do anything. They were only children, they were viewed as children - still in the academy (what would they know?).

Nara Shikamaru took notice of Ino's silence and investigated, only find out his 'sick' classmate has been kidnapped.

It wasn't only Shikamaru and Choji that found out the news. Shikamaru wasn't the only one to notice the blonde's silence.

Uchiha Sasuke was one of the very first to take note of the unusual silence in class (despite all of his crazy fangirls, seriously, why were they learning to be a ninja if all they do is scream?). At first, Sasuke was suspicious but held hope the Heiress was giving up on him while the pink one was out sick. That way he would have some peace in class. But of course, he was also curious. Why give up when the other is out sick?

Then he noticed her behavior. The way she scowled during attendance. The way she held a depressing aura and stance throughout the day.

A confrontation never crossed his mind. It might just turn her back to a fangirl, it could be a new tactic of her's. But he was observant and when he saw his two other classmates walk towards the girl, he seized the opportunity. He sat at the edge of the academy roof, just above the three's heads. And he listened.

Sasuke never actually liked Sakura, mainly for the reason she was a fangirl - and he hates fangirls. Though, there are certain things he wouldn't wish on them just to keep them away. Kidnapping and them going missing at the dead of night, was certainly not one of the ways he thought to keep them away. Sasuke doesn't like his classmates, that much he can say in pure confidence, but them going missing? He didn't dislike them that much.

He wasn't deaf to the gossip on the streets. He just didn't care for them. but, when he heard of a civilian child going missing, he didn't guess it was anyone he knew (in a way, sort of). Sasuke narrows his eyes in thought. Much like Ino, he didn't understand what anyone could gain in kidnapping a civilian. While he can somewhat see the logic behind the academy's decision not to tell them, he couldn't say he agreed. They should at least warn them to be more careful.

It was also common knowledge that the longest anyone's been sick at home is a week. After that, they're submitted to the hospital (they were missing too much of the schoolwork). What do they do when they can't find her in a week? Tell them she's in the hospital but can't have visitors (because she was never there'd could be dead for all they knew)? And, after that? When they can't find her? She died of a cold? Its stupid, Sasuke decides in the end.

Uchiha Sasuke got curious, only to learn his classmate has been kidnapped. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat and satisfaction brought it back. His curiosity had been satisfied with less that favorable answers.

. VIII .

Sakura awoke to the caws of birds. She had jumped out of bed, her kunia held tightly in front of her as her other hand formed the seal to dispel the genjustu. But there wasn't any. She opened her eyes for the first time since jumping out of bed. There weren't any more living animals during the war. The pollution in the air, soil, and water killed them all off. But Sakura wasn't in war anymore and there were living animals again. She just had remember that.

"Easier said than done," she whispers to herself while she walks inside the bathroom.

It was another day, she vaguely thinks, back here in the past. She had planned on resting and restocking for a week. But staying in one place for so long will grate against her nerves and senses. Sakura has gotten used to always moving around. To always being on guard. To always staying awake. And now she's been placed in a time of peace. And she isn't dead.

She looks over herself in the mirror after her hot shower. "There's definitely something to be grateful for," she tells herself before getting dressed. She's grateful that she's still twenty-five. She's grateful that she has all of her abilities again. If she was in her ten-year old body and with her ten-year old abilities, she would have gone insane. Then she really would have been useless in coming back.

Sakura packs up her things before setting off. She makes sure to change her appearance like the day previous before she leaves the room. As she makes her way to the front desk of the inn, she mentally prepares her role. Think of it as a mission, don't mess up the mission, Sakura repeats like a mantra.

After returning her room key, Sakura leaves in the shadows. She walks around the town, looking for new clothing and materials all the while staying unnoticed. She would pick the things she needs and leave the correct amount of money on the counter with no one seeing or sensing her. Sakura doesn't stop moving. She's on a mission.

She can't wait around. She'll need to gather information on her enemies and cut them down quickly so they won't become a problem later on. -so they don't start a war. -so they won't hurt her precious ones. -so they won't kill any more of the lives that deserved to live.

Sakura is here for a reason. She knows this. She's here to change things. Make them better. What if I make things worse? She stomps the thought and doubts down. She burns them till they're ashes and then she lets them go to the sea. Now is not the time for doubts. Her shishou believed she can do this and damn it all to hell if she doesn't as well. Haruno Sakura can do this.

When she focuses more on her surroundings, she realizes she's facing the place the Naruto Bridge will one day be built (she doesn't linger on the name). Sakura's lip twitches slightly, remembering what the bridge looked like — will look like. She'll make sure of it.

Sakura turns on her heel and walks away, looking for a new route to take so she can leave. She can't stay in the open. It's practically asking to be shot down by enemies (but there aren't any she remembers briefly). So she walks away and into shadows all the while dismissing the stray thoughts of the Nara Clan. Stray thoughts will do her no good.

As Sakura walks away, she plans out her next location. Konoha is definite no (she ignores the ache in her chest) with her current appearance. She can always wonder town to town to village, gathering information while switching appearances. Another thought drifts to her and she doesn't dismiss it so readily.

She remembers how her shishou wandered before she became Hokage. She knows it's stupid to get into contact with her at this point in time. Sakura also remembers Jiraiya. A spymaster but also a wanderer. Sakura can remember how much trust was put into the man by her teammate and shishou. She also remembers how heartbroken they were with his death.

Sakura digs her nails into her palm. She bites the inside of her cheek as another option presents itself. She tucks this away for another time.

Sakura is not dullusional into thinking she can do everything by herself. But she also knows that getting help will not only endanger them but her mission. It's a very big risk.

She sighs in irritation. She's honored, really she is. She's greatful. She's thankful. She isn't blind though. In the euphoria that came with realization of what she can do, also came the horror. She can change things and give everyone the full life they rightfully deserve. Or, she can change things and their lives end even earlier.

Haruno Sakura isn't blind.

She knows she isn't the most powerful. By all means, that title belongs to her teammates (then why are they the ones dead?). She knows when things are out of her hands. She knows when they're out of her league. And while it hurts her shinobi pride, she accepts that. But acceptance doesn't mean she'll stand back. Far from it.

Haruno Sakura will be in the forefront of the battle.

Haruno Sakura will be the one to protect.

She promises on that.

Haruno Sakura has a nindō.

( "I'm not gonna run away and I never go back on my word! That is my nindō! My ninja way!"

A boy with bright yellow hair and just as bright blue eyes, yells. Determination burning in his eyes. A winning smile shining like the sun.

Bright blue now a dull grey.

Stilled chest. Stilled body.

Dead. )

. IX .

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked out the window in his office. The skies were covered in a blanket of grey clouds. The air was cold and windy. It was such an unpredictable change of the weather in the Land of Fire. Especially in the times of summer.

He can't help but have a sense of foreboding for the future of his village. A sense of danger yet of peace. It is strange, making it all the more worrying.

His eyes drift towards the file on his desk. The opened file reveals a picture of a small girl. Pink hair and bright innocent, green eyes. The name printed boldly next to it.

With a sigh, Hiruzen scans over the contents of the file once more.

Name: Haruno Sakura

Status: MISSING

Rank: Civilian; Academy Student

Age: 10

Appearance: Bubblegum Pink hair, Green eyes

Went missing the night of August 05. Blood found on floor. No signs of struggle. Reports of not having heard a sound (parents, neighbors, and shinobi in perimeter). No other scents beyond family in the house.

Team Jushin Report: Near the border a woman of brown hair and hazel eyes was found. She ran. Wore standard blue shinobi garbs. Escaped before any other information could be gathered.

Another sigh.

In times of peace for only ten years and now this. Hiruzen closes the file while leaning back in his chair. It's a mystery really, the objective of the kidnapper. Almost a week has gone by and nothing has been found. He thought that perhaps a ransom would be sent. Then again, if that was so, they would have taken a clan child — most likely the heir(ess).

Though, thinking over the behavior of the village for the past few days, Hiruzen understands somewhat. A shinobi Village is made of mostly civilians. Make them doubt their own safety and you have chaos. But what benefit would that be for them? Why would someone want to disrupt the peace?

With the case of a missing child and the unrest of the village, meetings with the council have been called almost everyday. With more paperwork piling up and no rest, along with no new leads, it is safe to say that the Third Hokage is stressed beyond his years. And stress only brought the old man headaches.

He would need a successor soon. His old bones can't deal with this.

. X .

How was that?

First chapter done.

First story too.

Hope you enjoyed.

Helpful criticism is appreciated, thank you.

Till next time!