The next morning they met at Team 7's old training grounds and saw something that signified the end of the world.
Kakashi Hatake, renowned copy ninja and one of the best Jounins in Konoha, was actually early for once.
In fact, he arrived at the same moment they did with two scrolls in his hands. They were the same sizes of the Heaven and Earth scrolls during the Chunin Exams but the colors were just different. "Hello Sakura, Naruto", they could tell he was smiling at them, "What's with the surprised expressions?"
"You're early Kakashi-sensei", said Naruto closing his gaping mouth and scratching the back of his head in pure Naruto fashion.
"Hmm, I guess I am your sensei once more. I can't say I'm looking forward to teaching you again Naruto".
The blonde feigned disappointment before smiling and saying, "Awww you know you love me Kakashi-sensei!"
"If you say so", nothing felt better than joking around with your childhood teacher. "Sakura", his attention went to his female student, "You are quiet this morning, is anything wrong?" His soft drawl sprung Sakura out of her daydream as she gazed at the scrolls in his hands, her eyes met his.
"Nothing Kakashi-sensei, I'm just a little nervous".
"No need to be", squatted and placed the red scroll in front of Naruto and the blue scroll in front of Sakura, "The Hokage wouldn't purposely send you on a suicide mission. Now open the scrolls". Naruto squatted, like Kakashi, and opened the flap of his slowly until he unfurled it on the ground. Following his example, Sakura also opened hers and read what it said:
Transformation Jutsu #9: Water Style
Caution User For This Jutsu Is Not For The Immature
Or The Mediocre Shinobi.
It Changes Outer Appearances
For Inner Appearances Cannot Be Altered.
Your Eyes, Your Hair, Your Body, Your Abilities
They Will Be Dormant Until You Transform Back.
This Jutsu Cannot Be Reversed By Any Means,
Used More Than Once,
Or Be Used For Evil Purposes.
For If A Soul Is Tainted,
This Jutsu Will Know,
And Cause Mind And Body To Rebel,
So They Will Never Work Together Again.
It Will Consume Your Identity.
Temporarily Change Your Destiney.
You Will Seem To "Disappear".
Mind And Body Will Have To Learn To Synchronize Once More
For This Jutsu Gives You New Abilities
That Seemed Impossible Before.
Handle With Care
For It Is Forbidden
And Can Only Be Used With The Authority Of The Current Hokage.
Created By The Second Hokage of Konohagakure
"Prick your finger and sign your name at the bottom with your own blood".
"Like a Summoning Jutsu?" asked Naruto as he pricked his finger on a kunai from his jacket.
"Yes just like a Summoning Jutsu, except this time only your name will be there".
Sakura removed her black gloves and pricked her finger also with a kunai and signed her name. Her wound burned at little when she pressed it to the scroll but she managed to finish her name. After a few seconds the blood seemed to fade to a light pink and soon disappeared into the scroll, leaving behind no indication that her name was ever there.
"Did your name disappear yet?" he asked them, standing up and moving away from the scrolls. They knodded and he told them to move back a few feet and watch the scrolls. They started to ruffle a little though there was no wind and soon rolled themselves back up with a snap. A high pitched frequency sound filled the training grounds before both scrolls shot into the air in streaks of fire and water. They hissed as they collide with another in mid-air and never dropped back to the ground. The steam they created soon dissipated into the atmosphere.
"Well...that was unexpected", said Naruto looking over to Sakura as she knodded.
"Kakashi-sensei, the just said it was created by the second Hokage. Is that true?"
The white haired man knodded, "He created it for emergency situations that he knew would arise in the future. He created a fire style and water style so the jutsu could be effective and the original person could never be identified".
"Wait I have a question!" Naruto looked at Kakashi, "Why is it that the Hokage chose us for this mission? Isn't any other ninja free?"
"Neji, Tenten and Lee are on a mission in the Wind Country. Ino is still at the hospital in critical condition with Shikamaru at by her side. Kiba, Shino and Hinata left on a mission yesterday morning. Choji is taking a break for a while to relax his broken arm. Honestly, you too were the only ones left".
Jeez, thanks for the vote of confidence sensei, thought Sakura crossing her arms.
"Ah man, are you serious?" whined Naruto as he two crossed his arms.
"I'm just kidding! The Hokage has been debating this issue for the last few weeks", he looked at them sheepishly, "You are capable for this and will take the mission seriously. Any other ninja would try to kill Sasuke before trying to join his side. You two can be trusted".
Naruto knodded and then seemed to freeze, "Kakashi-sensei, when will the jutsu start?"
"It happens overnight and you will not feel a thing. Meet me here again tomorrow mornning for training with your new jutsus. We will have a strict schedule if you want to reach Jounin level in a year".
"We will be at Academy Student level, right Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura did not like that little fact.
"Academy Student?!" yelled Naruto with horror, "I'll have to learn the Clone Jutsu all over again!".
"Relax Naruto, your body and chakra levels will be different from your own. It will either be easier or harder to learn jutsus from now on".
"Harder?" Naruto huffed,"Uggh! Can't you give any good news Kakashi-sensei?"
"Well...".The mention of Ino a few minutes ago reminded Sakura she needed to visit her best friend. The blond kunoichi returned from one of her missions in the arms of an allied ninja with kunai's embedded all over her. Sakura remembered Shikamaru's face when he first heard the news about his wife; he was utterly heartbroken and depressed. Choji told her that Shikamaru cried a little that night in the hospital when he was alone. He also considered going after those ninjas and killing them slowly and painfully buy realized Ino needed him more.
"Excuse me, Kakashi-sensei? Can I go to the hospital now please?"
"Sure, just remember tomorrow".
"Bye Sakura!" When she was out of ear shot, Naruto looked downcast and turned to Kakashi. "When I transform, will I still have...still be..." he motioned to the seal on his stomach.
Kakashi's eye followed his movement and he sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Yes Naruto, you have read the jutsu correct? 'Inner appearances cannot be altered'. He will be within you but you can't use his chakra and he'll be asleep, almost paralyzed. Keep the seal hidden from Sasuke and you'll be fine".
The blonde put a hand over his stomach, deep in thought. For the first time in his life, he would have to fight without the Nine Tailed Fox Demon's help. He didn't like to admit it, but it saved him more times than he could remember. It all started with that mission during his Genin days in the Land of Waves with Haku and Sasuke. Finally he would have no advantage over anybody and no reason to be different. That was always his dream, so why did he feel like he was loosing a part of himself?
Sakura hurried on her way straight to the hospital and ignored people's attempts to speak to her and walked through the Konoha Hospital Entrance. "Hello Sakura", a nurse called to her. She waved back and ran up the stairs until she reached the third floor. She knew where the room was by heart now, Room 16 at the end of the hall. Her chart was in a folder on the door and Sakura looked at it for a moment, memorizing any changes. It seemed as though Ino was getting a little better but she was still in critical condition and her chances at survival seemed slim. She didn't cry as she used to when Ino first entered the hospital and given a 2 chance of survival. She used her Healing Jutsu day and night to say her and was rewarded when her heart started up again.
She opened the door carefully so she wouldn't disturb the man in the room. The sight that awaited her was always the same whenever she entered Ino's room. She was still unconscious and the sound of the heart monitor was the only thing that filled the room. Her blonde hair was a mess and a lot longer than it ever was before. Her skin was pale and her breaths were shallow though they kept her alive. Her husband, the Shadow Manipulator, sat on the chair nearest to her bed with her hand clutched in his.
It seemed as though he never left her side.
Tsunade had tried to assign him a mission but he refused to talk to anyone but Sakura. He just gave them the most heartbreaking stare anyone has ever seen and they leave him alone. It's hard to see someone you thought of strong, unbreakable, for so long crack right before your eyes.
"Shikamaru", Sakura called to him softly by the door, "You need to eat something, you're loosing weight".
He didn't turn to her but said, "Is there any change?" His voice was raspy with disuse and she saw him stroke her cold hand, something he did periodically.
"She's improving but slowly", she saw him knod his head, "I'm serious Shikamaru, you need to eat something. Come, I'll buy you some ramen".
"No", he still didn't turn to face her, "I'm staying here, what if she needs me when she wakes up?"
He said that every time and Sakura didn't have the heart to tell him Ino wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. She didn't want to hurt him anymore with all the bad news she'd been giving him lately.
Inoichi Yamanaka and his wife came to the hospital at least every two days to check up on Ino's condition and bring Shikamaru some food. He always ate what they brought him and that was the only nourishment he depended on to survive.
"I'm leaving on a mission tomorrow and won't be back for sometime. When Ino wakes up, tell her that I love her and wish her a safe recovery". Shikamaru turned to look over his shoulder, his soft brown eyes made her feel worse. He also depended on her medical ninja skills to keep Ino alive, she just wished he knew the importance of her mission.
"Alright I will. Thank you and good luck Sakura".
"Same to you Shikamaru, take care of yourself".
That night as she dressed for bed, she was curious as to what she would look like because of the transformation. Maybe she would be more attractive, like Tsunade in the looks department and just as lethal. Maybe she would have strange, exotic looks like Kurenai's fiery eyes or Anko's purple hair. Or maybe even Temari's sandy blonde locks.
She slipped between the covers of her bed and sighed, whatever she transformed into she hoped the water jutsus she would learn could kick some serious ass.
The time had finally come where she would prove to him that she was more than capable of being a ninja.
They were finally going to be equals.