2. " You need to strip." His deep voice rumbled...

"You need to strip." His deep voice rumbled through her body. Her blush intensified. He tried to reassure her: "Do not worry Haruno-san. I will not take advantage". The blush kept on staining her cheeks. He was suddenly worried that she had scars other than battle wounds and traumatic memories. But she just blushed, he could detect no fear.

She stood up shakily, tugging at her flak jacket. He stood up to get the kettle of water and some cloths. She tried to pry off her clothing, but large parts of blood soaked fabric was dried up and stuck to her skin. He took a cloth, soaking it with warm water and started to wet the dried patches making the crusts go soft. Then he took a kunai and cut through her shirt and bindings from the back. The rags fell to the ground. She felt air around her breast, making her feel vulnerable. The wounds stung immensely and started bleeding again. He started to wash her back, she felt rivulets of water pouring down her back and front, forming a pool around her feet. She hissed from time to time when he cleaned a particularly large gash. After he was done, she turned towards him and he washed her front without any indication of embarrassment about this intimacy. She blushed violently now. While noticing her embarrassment an involuntary thought entered his mind: she was beautiful, her blush complementing her pink hair and skin.

He tried to stay business like in his actions, washing her wounds. She must be hurting, but only an occasional hiss betrayed what she was feeling. She had a hardened body, all muscle and no body fat, very different from the soft bodies of the clan women. Scars were emerging from underneath the blood and dirt. He traced them involuntarily while washing. Then he stepped behind her again, using water and the kunai to strip her of her pants. He felt awkward suddenly, but reprimanded himself, cleaning her bottom and long legs with business like strokes. The wounds were less deep here. She turned around while he was still crouching. He tried not to look at her sex. And suddenly he felt a warm heat crawl up at his face. Stoically he proceeded, counting to ten in his mind and then it was done.

She noticed his blushing face. He looked handsome. Some part of her was vaguely flattered that she could make him blush with her body, but it felt strange and forbidden. He was like a father to the village and villagers and that is how she always had perceived his presence in the rocks above Konoha. He was one of the fathers of the village even though now he was hardly ten years her senior. His expression stayed emotionless despite the blush. "My apologies Haruno-San, if I have made you feel uncomfortable. The wounds are clean now. Your hair?" She nodded, amazed at the strange situation that she was in. She bent over the kettle dipping her hair in and she felt his hands massaging her skull, rinsing the blood out of her hair. Afterwards he dried her hair with another cloth. She felt exhausted. Her limbs weighed tons and she couldn't even lift her arms.

He started covering up the deepest wounds with fresh white cloth. His hands touching her skin now and then, causing goose bumps on her skin. While everything was neatly covered he helped her get into the spare clothing. She looked better, but exhausted. Before she could collapse, he picked her up without effort and carried her towards the bed, he sat down on the side. "I need your permission to share body warmth tonight. It will get cold and you need to be warm to heal and replenish your chakra. Do I have your permission?" She nodded silently. She felt him slide next to her. He hesitated, then slipped his arm underneath her neck, pulling her head onto his shoulder. He felt strangely comfortable, holding her small body, feeling her relax against him. Her hair smelled vaguely sweet, though the blood and dirt still was there. He had washed out wounds and warmed comrades in cold nights before, but never a woman. He tried to be indifferent about it, but had to admit to himself that he found her enticing, beautiful and mysterious. Sakura, cherry blossom. What surprised him the most was that he was lying here unarmed, relaxing with her in his arms. He didn't know the first thing about her. She could murder him in his sleep. But strangely he did not care right this moment. He felt at peace and he drifted off into a black velvety sleep. His nose buried in her hair.

She was restless part of the night. Reliving memories of the war. He held her. It was the only thing he could do.

He woke up first to a golden light illuminating the cave. The cold made their breath visible. Cursing that he needed to leave the warmth of the bed, he got up nevertheless prying the kunoichi from his body. She kept on sleeping peacefully.

He made the fire. Cooked food and then woke her up. She looked up at him, squinting. "Eat." She nodded, eating silently. Her legs dangling over the edge of the bed. Then she carefully put down her bowl and looked at him. "I have enough chakra now to heal some of my wounds." She hesitated when he looked surprised. "I am a medic ninja" she said simply. He watched her, fascinated, when her fingers glowed a soft green. She healed her wounds. He never saw anyone heal wounds so fast and so complete. He was impressed. And it seemed another bit of proof of his theory about her.

When they ate the leftover rice and had some tea Tobirama cleared up the cave and put the fire out. He put on his armour, trying to close the bands under his arms. It was a slow process. "Here, let me", she spoke softly. He looked up and grunted approvingly. With quick lean hands she attached his armour. He fastened his happuri and when she looked up, she saw the man of the rocks again, the Nidaime Hokage.

"Haruno-san. We will travel to the Senju compound to meet my brother."

She paled and turned away from him to hide her reaction. But she wasn't quick enough. Tobirama spoke then: "Haruno-san, I can see my brother is familiar to you. Please tell me why that is?"

When she opened her mouth he warned her: "Be careful kunoichi. I have my own theory about who en what you are and why you are here. Please make sure to not underestimate me and be a servant of the truth. It will serve you better than dishonesty."

She looked at him. His stern face, devoid of emotion, his red eyes, handsome face. He stood there facing her, his arms crossed. She saw something flicker in his eyes. After last night's events she desperately wanted to see him as an ally or friend. She did not want to break his trust, if he trusted her in the first place. She needed an ally in this world.

"Senju-sama… please give me some time to think…" He narrowed his eyes, and nodded curtly. "Do not get any idea's, I will be watching you."

He went out of the cave and she followed him swiftly. He disappeared in the forest around the cave entrance. She squinted against the bright sunlight. Felt the rays warm her face. She sighed and sat down in the tall grass, her back leaning against the cold rock.

Her mind was racing. What would she do? What should she do? It was unlikely that she would be going home any time soon. If Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi defeated Kaguya, there was no way they would be able to bring her back….Tears started to burn in her eyes. A gulf of despair washed over her. She was lost, she would never see her friends again. She was lost in the past and Konoha didn't even exist yet! Never again eating ramen with Naruto, never scolding Kakashi about his porn, never training with Tsunade, never would her eyes meet those of Sasuke again. Tears ran over her cheeks, her shoulders hunching. For a while she let the grief wash over her. It felt like a wave crashing over her. She could only stay still, frozen in the chaos of her emotions.

After a while the sadness faded away, making place for determination. She had to accept reality. She was not in an alien territory. She was in the care of the Nidaime Hokage and he was the founder of all that she was brought up with during her life. Somehow there was a link between them. He was Tsunade's great uncle. He was Hokage of the village. She was his subordinate, even if she was from the future. He was not her enemy! She needed to defeat the enemy, or at least try. No matter the distance! She had to change time itself…..

The idea froze her for a while. The implications running through her mind. She let the thought sink in, analysing all possible outcomes. What she needed, was a second opinion. She smiled, how convenient to have Lord Second in the vicinity. How would she convince him? She would have to be honest. She already knew he was suspicious of her, and that suspicion would not go away until she told the truth, he would recognize the truth, right? She hoped he would instead of killing her on the spot.

"Nidaima-sama!"

After a few moments he strode out of the forest. She blinked. He looked so impressive, his movements fluid, the fur collar and happuri giving him a majestic aura. His features handsome, the facial tattoos complementing his red eyes. He stopped before her. He noticed she looked nervous.

"Please Haruno-san. Do not be nervous. Let us sit down."

The sun was still shining, warming their bodies. The grass smelled sweet. Tobirama sank down and sat on his knees, putting his hands on his thighs. He closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed the feeling of the sun on his face. Then he focussed on the nervous girl before him. She somehow recollected her calm, sighed deeply and spoke.

"Nidaime-sama. My name is Haruno Sakura, jounin level shinobi, part of team seven, medically skilled, apprentice of your grandniece Senju Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure. I am lost in the past. I was battling in a Shinobi war and was cast backwards in time against my will by the enemy, the Kaguya goddess. I am unable to return home. Please accept my servitude to the Senju-clan and future village of Konoha."

She noticed how emotional these words made her. She felt her eyes stinging. A single tear escaped her eyes and it made her angry. She felt vulnerable, lost and alone. She looked at her hands, trying to control her emotions.

It was a while before Tobirama spoke. He was deep in thought. It was as he suspected. So Hashirama's dream became reality after all! The girl was emotional. She was avoiding his gaze. He was grateful she told him the truth. And he believed her without a doubt, but more proof was needed to be absolutely certain.

" I want to believe you, however, your tale is unlikely. If you are speaking the truth can you offer proof?"

Her mind raced, he hadn't dismissed the idea altogether! She wracked her brain for information on the two brothers. What information did she have that wasn't generally known or could be found out by a spy?

"I know that you lost your two little brothers to this dreadful war with the Uchiha, Kawarama and Itama. I know that your brother secretly befriended Uchiha Madara and that your father decided to ambush him. It came to a confrontation between the Uchiha and Senju, but Madara en Hashirama put a stop to the fight. They became enemies after that. You and your brother share a dream of a shinobi system where children do not need to fight in wars. An alliance with the Uchiha is needed, but the alliance is still not accomplished. Your life philosophy is the Will of Fire. You are a formidable shinobi, water user and inventor of the Yin and Yang Release, Summoning Techniques, Barrier Ninjutsu, Shadow Clone Technique, Flying Thunder God Technique Hiraishin, Tandem Explosive Tags and Edo Tensei. And you have the best sensory skills of all. That must have been how you detected me in the first place."

He was surprised and a bit shocked. He fell silent. The information about their brothers and encounter with Madara she could have collected through spies. But the information about his skills, some of those jutsu he was working on, nobody knew about them, not even his brother! So it was really true….

"Haruno-san, your story rings of truth." He waited to let his words sink in. As he suspected, she let the tears run freely. She must have been scared for his reaction. Uncharacteristically he lifted his hand toward her face and lifted her chin up. "Sakura-san, do not fear or be sad. You will be most welcome in the Senju-clan. I will introduce you to my brother, we will make a home for you there and find out a solution for your predicament. And please, call me Tobirama-san. Nidaima-sama makes me feel old and awkward. I have not yet earned such honorific." He was silent for a moment and then asked: "Can you tell me how you ended up in my time?"

"Yes, I was fighting in the Fourth Shinobi War. That is why I was wounded, although most of the blood was of my comrades. Our enemy turned out to be the Kaguya goddess. In a chaotic moment of the battle she somehow threw me backwards. I felt myself flying through the air, until all went black. Apparently I landed into the past. My friends are still fighting there…. I hope they are alright…." He interrupted her immediately.

"Do not pain yourself with such thoughts. They are not fighting there. They do not exist yet."

She blinked. He was right. But it didn't feel like that in her heart.

"The war was headed towards the end of the world, Tobirama-san. The moment that I was cast into the past was a desperate moment. In the end it seemed that even Naruto and Sasuke, my teammates were no match for her powers. The events that lead to this war are rooted in this time. I wonder if we can alter the future to prevent this war and consequently the ending of this world. But I am very wary that by disclosing information to you, history will change for the worst. What should I do? How should I proceed? I just cannot stay passive in this matter." She was rattling. He vaguely realised she was apparently part of a team that was powerful enough to fight the biggest threat they ever faced. What did that say about her power?

"Sakura-san, I understand your doubts and resolutions. This however, is no place to discuss them. We are in enemy territory. Let us discuss the matter with Hashirama. There are only two possibilities, either you tell us everything or nothing. Are you fit enough to travel to the Senju compound? It is a two day travel without injuries."

"I think so. I have to! If we can have some breaks when needed."

"Agreed." He pushed himself to standing. He held out his hand to her, a small curl in the corner of his mouth betraying his mood. She took it, noticing the callousness and warmth of his hand. He pulled her to her feet. "Do not worry kunoichi. All will be well. If you are stuck here. I will do all within my power to help you find your way." She felt warmth hitting her cheeks instantly, warmth and happiness. And then he took off into the trees. Silently cursing his speed, she followed suit.