And I'm back! Had some health issues the last week or so and haven't been able to concentrate on writing. Throughout August updates will be less frequent as I have lots going on, I'm turning 24 (I seriously do NOT feel that old) and my best friend is getting married and I'm the maid of honour. Plus those aforementioned health issues.
But no need to worry, I will still try my best to write and get new and exciting chapters to you.
StoryReader9 brought up a good point in their review, stating 'But wasn't Rin already gone by then?' The thing is, it's not even stated if she is dead or alive. It's presumed she is deceased, as she was shown when Kakashi died (yes, spoilers, although if you didn't know this already, you probably shouldn't continue reading the story) along with Obito and Minato.
It does show her as her thirteen-year-old self, but as it is never specifically said when she did die, I'm using my creative liberty to have her in mine at eighteen. It shouldn't ruffle anyone's feathers too much, if anyone does have a problem with it, I apologize. However, I won't refrain from having Rin in this story. She's a rather important part of it.
Lastly, I just want to thank all the readers for your amazing support. I can't describe how proud I feel when I receive a notification for a review, a favourite, even a follow. It inspires me to keep writing because I know you all enjoy reading this story already as much as I do creating and writing it. So thank you. It means a lot.
I'll stop babbling on now so we can get to the chapter. It's my longest thus far. Over one thousand more words than my last chapter. Just to keep you guys enthralled whilst I work on the next one.
As always, please enjoy and remember, reviews are very much loved.
CHAPTER THREE
That had been an awful nightmare.
Sakura shot up in her bed, her fists curled tightly around the sheets as she attempted to open her blurry eyes and regain her coherency. She'd been dreaming about being sent back to the past, a time where the Third Hokage was still alive and had spoken to her, a time where no-one was allowed to find out who she was, where she was not able to carry out her shinobi duties.
She finally managed to open her jade-green orbs, only to shut them tightly mere seconds later.
The room she had seen was unfamiliar. It was not her bedroom, it was not Ino's house, nor Naruto's, where she would go after a night out on the town when she was too tired or drunk to make it back to her own place. It was the room in the local inn she had seen in her nightmares.
Not nightmares, she realized with horror. Her memories.
Reluctantly, Sakura's eyes opened once more, and she cringed as she remembered her predicament. She was not home. The village she was in may have resembled it, but this was not were she belonged. She was trapped in a place that was not her own, with no idea of when she would be able to return to her rightful time.
Something splashed on the back of Sakura's hand that was sitting on her lap, it was then that she realized she had begun to cry. She hadn't had any time to really think about everything, to sit down and just let it all sink in. Once she had reached her little room at the inn after speaking to the innkeeper and quickly demolishing a filling meal, she had been so tired and practically passed out on the bed.
Hot tears began to stream down her face, out of her control despite her best efforts to keep them contained. She was a proud kunoichi of Konoha, and shinobi did not let their emotions get the best of them. Sakura attempted to wipe them away hastily from her cheeks with the back of her hand, but they did not falter.
Soon, her petite body was overcome with loud sobs, the more she tried to withhold her emotions, the more she failed to and the louder she cried. She felt helpless at that moment, so lost and confused. For once in her young life, Sakura didn't have the answer, the solution. She had no idea what was going to happen.
She just wanted to go home.
Eventually the sobs subsided, and with a few loud sniffs, Sakura headed to the adjoined bathroom to clean herself up and attempt to look decent for her first day at the hospital. Well, technically her second first day. Just that thought threatened a headache, so she let it go and concentrated more on her reflection in the small mirror.
Her green eyes were slightly blood-shot, the hue intensified by her face which was now puffy and flushed red from her breakdown earlier. Streaks of tears wove their way over her grime-stained cheeks, dried blood on her upper lip. Her pink tendrils were sticking out at all different directions, the direct definition of bed-hair. She looked terrible, and it reflected how she felt on the inside as well.
Sakura's broken nose instantly caught her eyes, it was crooked at a strange angle and had already begun to heal itself. She winced, knowing what had to be done.
Taking in a deep breath, she lifted one chakra-filled fist to her nose and quickly punched it, re-breaking the bones that had started to set. Blood instantly began to gush from her nostrils once more, trailing over her pink lips and splashing crimson droplets into the basin below. Sakura held in a cry of pain, her eyes watering up again from the stinging pain, but she had no time to let them fall.
Manoeuvring her nose into the correct position took a few minutes, and once Sakura was satisfied with the resulting look, her hand began to glow green with chakra as she healed the twice-broken bones, feeling the relief almost right away. It took her almost no time at all to return her nose to normal, and once done, it looked just as it had beforehand. Sakura admired her handiwork for a moment before turning to the combined bath and shower.
Having somehow managed to strip herself of her clothes before falling onto the bed and passing out the night before, Sakura was left only in her underpants, which she quickly slipped off before stepping into the shower, turning the handles. As the water hit her skin, the refreshing sensation was almost instantaneous as she tried to get the temperature of the water just right - not too hot, yet not too cold.
She'd been too tired to have her desired bath the night before, despite having both blood and dirt on her skin. A shower had been out of the question as well. As soon as she'd entered the room, she'd only had one thing on her exhausted mind, and that had been rest. She was still amazed that she'd somehow managed to get her boots off before succumbing to slumber.
A bath that morning would have been amazing and just what she desired, but Sakura knew she did not have the time, that a simple shower to clean herself up would have to do. Luckily she had been provided with a small amount of soap, shampoo and conditioner, as well as a simple white towel and bathrobe.
As Sakura poured some shampoo into her hand and then transferred it to her damp petal tresses, she couldn't help but think about that day she had ahead.
The Hokage was sending someone to her room that morning, a guide of some sort to show her around. Both she and The Third knew Sakura did not need to be shown her way around Konoha and the hospital, as she knew them just fine, but it was to keep up appearances.
She was supposed to be a simple young woman who had only recently moved to Konoha in hopes of pursuing a career as a professional medic. Sakura had already created a new surname for herself, as well as a backstory in case anyone got curious. She knew she would have to be on high alert and not let anything slip, if she was to come across someone she knew, she was to act as if it was her first time ever seeing them.
Sakura wasn't the best actress, but she knew how to make a lie convincing. She was a kunoichi, afterall. It was part of their basic training.
Rinsing her hair of the shampoo, she then proceeded to put the conditioner through her bubblegum locks and lathered her body up with soap, wincing at the amount of dirt that was now lining the bottom of the tub. She made a mental reminder to have the bed changed sometime that day, knowing that some of that grime would have been transferred to the sheets during her sleep the night before.
Her thoughts returned to her scheduled morning, she only had a small amount of time to finish her shower and get dressed before her 'guide' would arrive.
Rin.
That name entered her mind again, but the pink-haired girl couldn't put her finger on where she had heard it before. Obviously it wasn't anything too significant, or she would have remembered instantly. Still, not knowing bugged Sakura. She prided herself on her smarts, even when outwitted by the likes of her sensei and Shikamaru.
Rinsing off her body and her hair once more, Sakura stood under the water for a moment longer before reluctantly turning the water off and stepping out of the shower. Sakura took the towel that hung on the rack provided, quickly patting her body dry before wrapping up her hair within it. Once that was done, she took the bathrobe and wrapped it around herself and made it back to the bedroom, picking up her discarded underpants on the way back.
Unwrapping the towel around her head and then proceeding to dry her hair with it, Sakura's stomach grumbled with the need for breakfast. She sighed, knowing she had just enough previsions to last her until she received her first pay check from the hospital. Groceries would be delivered to her that afternoon, courtesy of the Hokage. Until then, she had no food to fill her hungry belly.
Once her hair was done, still damp but no longer sopping wet, Sakura removed her robe and began to dry herself properly. She couldn't help but wonder what awaited for her at the hospital. She knew all the procedures, and was one of the best medics in all of Konoha, but she was aware that she'd be starting at the bottom of the ladder and would have to work her way up, yet still keep discreet and out of sight. The less others noticed her, the better.
Once completely dry, Sakura slipped her underpants back on and began to dress herself in the only outfit she had with her. Picking up her dress, she frowned. Despite the material being red, she could still see droplets of crimson blood on the hem, and mentally reminded herself that as soon as she had any money, clothes would be the first thing on the list of things to buy alongside groceries. She couldn't go around every day in the exact same outfit. Something similar perhaps, goodness knew how many copies she had of each outfit in her wardrobe at home. But the exact same dress every single day? No amount of deodorant or perfume would be able to cover the sweaty smell of everyday life, day after day.
Her dress, tights and boots on, she reached over and picked up her hitai-ate, moving to tie it around her head out of habit before realizing that the Hokage had ordered her to keep it out of sight. Her arms falling to her sides, she held it in her hands above her knees, the pad of her thumb brushing lightly over the engraved insignia of Konoha. It had been an integral part of her everyday attire for many years. Now, she was forbidden to wear it, out of concerns it could jeopardise her situation.
With a sigh, Sakura leaned over and placed it in the bedside drawer, keeping it hidden.
A few moments later, a rather loud knock sounded at the door, prompting Sakura to move to her feet and stride over to it, turning the handle to reveal a girl about the same age, who wore a rather large grin on her face.
"Sakura-san?" she asked, blinking at Sakura with chocolate brown eyes.
"That's me." Sakura replied, somewhat hesitantly.
The girl's smile grew wider before she bowed her head to Sakura, who instantly returned the gesture before the cheerful stranger spoke again.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Rin. The Hokage sent me here to be your guide through Konoha. He also said I was to show you the ropes at the hospital."
So this was Rin. A girl slightly taller than Sakura, with beautiful mocha-brown hair that was worn in a loose pony-tail down Rin's back, longer than Sakura's own but not by much, her bangs worn in a similar style. Her hitai-ate was worn across her forehead, it's material black in colour. She wore a lilac coloured shirt with sleeves that reached mid-way down her forearms, a black vest-like halter neck top over it. A cream-coloured apron-skirt covered black shorts that ended just above her knees, and bandages covered her calves with simple open-toed shoes completing the ensemble.
Rin's most defining feature was the two rectangular markings on either side of her face, royal purple in colour. Sakura was instantly reminded of Kiba, who had similar markings, except his were more fang-like and red instead.
Sakura couldn't help but feel drawn towards this girl, her cheerfulness was almost like that of an addictive drug. The only thing she found curious was that she had never seen this girl before, nor anyone who looked similar. The pinkette knew many of the villagers around Konoha, so she found this fact to be incredibly strange.
"Should we head off then?"
Rin's bubbly voice broke Sakura from her thoughts, and her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment as she realized she'd zoned off into her own mind. She turned to look back at her room, quickly taking the key that the innkeeper had handed to her the night before, the key to her room.
She moved out of the room, Rin stepping aside as Sakura closed the door promptly behind her and locked it, before placing the key in the pouch that hung from her belt.
"Let's go!"
"So where are you from?"
Sakura's snapped out of her thoughts, she'd been off in her mind yet again as Rin had been walking alongside her, babbling on about the facts of Konoha, things that Sakura already knew. She'd tried to be polite and pretended to look interested, but in the end she'd simply gone off in her own little world, still mulling over everything that had happened, nodding every once in a while to Rin to keep up the pretence that she was listening.
"A simple town, south of Konoha. It's really small, you've probably not even heard of it." Sakura replied quickly, hoping Rin wouldn't ask any more questions about the town itself. "My family have been the local medics there for generations, except I wished to learn more after being taught everything they knew. So I moved to Konoha and applied for a job at the hospital. And here we are."
Rin nodded. "I understand. I love working at the hospital, being able to heal those who are injured and sick. It gives me a lot of pride, knowing that I am helping others. My family thinks it to be a worthless profession but I wouldn't give it up for the world."
Sakura's eyes glanced over to Rin once more, a slender pink eyebrow raising in surprise at Rin's words. Her family didn't think much of her being a medic-nin? Did they not realize how important they were to a shinobi team? She couldn't help but wonder if Naruto, Sai, Yamato or Kakashi would still be alive if it hadn't been for her healing abilities.
Still, she did not press Rin for further information, afterall, the two had only just met.
"Me neither."
With Sakura's agreement, the two continued to stroll towards the hospital, Rin resuming her knowledge of Konoha trivia, the petal-haired girl beside her trying her best to feign interest.
"Arisu-sama!"
An elderly looking nurse turned around to face Sakura and Rin as they entered the hospital, the woman's wrinkled face breaking out into a kind smile. It was yet another person Sakura had never met before, and she could only assumed that the woman had retired long before Sakura had started her apprenticeship and begun to take shifts at the hospital.
"Ah, Rin-chan, I was wondering where you had gotten to." The woman's dark blue eyes turned to Sakura. "Who is your friend?"
"Hayashi Sakura." she introduced herself with a respectful bow, using her conjured up surname for the first time. She'd kept the same initial, as it would allow her to maintain her signature if it was to be needed, which was common when working in a hospital. She'd also used the fact that she first arrived in this time in a forest, so it wasn't just some random name she had picked out. It held meaning for her, which Sakura felt was important when creating a new alias for yourself, especially one you would be using for an unknown amount of time.
"Sakura-san has her first shift at the hospital today." Rin explained, the smile never leaving her face for a moment as she looked between the older woman and the bubblegum-haired girl.
Arisu raised a grey eyebrow at Sakura.
"What are your qualifications?"
Sakura cleared her throat. She desperately wanted to reveal that she was incredibly talented in all fields of medicines and was an expert with poisons, but knew she had to keep those truths to herself.
"In my town, my family are the local practising medics. I have basic knowledge of medicine, but I have come here to learn more." she replied, giving the older elderly medic a smile.
"Well, you might have some potential, but for now, we'll have to put you on the front desk." Arisu replied, and Sakura had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything in response. She had been downgraded to a receptionist. Here she was, possibly the most talented medical kunoichi of her generation, the apprentice of Tsunade herself, and yet she was forced to sit behind a desk and answer phones.
The older woman turned around then, heading down the hallway. "It's time for my rounds, Rin-chan, show Sakura-san to the desk and then you are needed in room nineteen." she called over her shoulder, before turning a corner and disappearing from sight.
Rin turned to Sakura and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. She can be very strict, always going by the rules, but I promise, she's a total softie once you get to know her." the brunette spoke, as she indicated for Sakura to follow her through the hallways.
Sakura almost dismissed Rin, to tell her that she already knew where the desk was located, but she knew she had to keep up with appearances. This was going to be more difficult than she had originally thought. All she could do was hope that she would get through it without any errors or mistakes, and that she would be returned home soon.
"Here we are! It seems the others are busy today, so you'll have to man the desk by yourself. Shouldn't be too hard, all you have to do is answer the phone and direct visitors around. All the information about the patients and what room they've been assigned to is on the chart behind you."
Sakura sighed as she looked at the chart and then to the desk and the unorganized mess of papers that were strewn across it. At least she would have something to keep her busy and distracted for a while.
"Thanks Rin." she turned to the chocolate-haired kunoichi beside her, who simply grinned in return. "Good luck. I'll come and check-up on you later." Rin grinned again before she strode off towards the patient's rooms.
With another loud sigh, Sakura moved behind the desk and took a seat in the chair, eyeing the colossal amounts of papers that lay before her. She laced her hands together and stretched out her arms in front of her torso, cracking her knuckles rather loudly before she began to immerse herself with organising the papers.
Later that afternoon, the front desk was now free of any papers, and Sakura had even taken the liberty of giving it a wipe-over. There had been phone-calls here and there, family members and friends of patients arriving to see their loved ones, but nothing too exciting. Sakura had been pleased to have a lunch break, especially when she was given a free sandwich and orange from the woman in the cafeteria when she revealed she had no money just yet as it was her first day and she wouldn't have any until her first pay check arrived. It had been the highlight of her day to satisfy her hunger.
It was some time later that afternoon that Rin approached Sakura, a guilty look on her pretty face.
"…how are you with practising routine check-ups?"
Sakura blinked, not expecting that question on her 'first' day. "Fairly competent. Why?"
Rin cringed and bit down on her bottom lip.
"My…my brother has come in for his check-up and most of the other nurses are on lunch or busy with other patients, leaving me as the one do perform it. The only problem is…Yuji and I…we don't exactly get along."
Sakura frowned at this, she'd only known Rin for a few hours and could already deduce that she was a friendly, sweet, intelligent girl. She remembered what she had said earlier, about her family thinking her profession to be worthless. She could sense that Rin was uncomfortable about it all so she instantly got to her feet, holding out a hand for his chart. If she could prevent Rin from having unfortunate dealings with her family members, then she would.
Rin smiled gratefully at Sakura, a look of relief appearing on her face as she handed the chart over to the pinkette. "I really appreciate this, Sakura-san. Tell you what, I'll take you out for dinner tonight, my shout." She also took the stethoscope that hung around her neck and placed it around Sakura's. "You might need this too, since you don't have your own."
Sakura couldn't help but grin at the prospect of getting a free meal, and the chance to perhaps form a friendship with Rin. It would certainly make her stay a lot less boring. "Just call me Sakura, and we have a deal." she replied.
Rin gave a light chuckle before nodding. "Alright Sakura, it's a deal."
"I'll meet you here after I'm done. Shouldn't take me too long." Sakura added as she glanced up a nearby clock on the wall, before leaving Rin and making her way to the check-up room.
Looking through the chart that Rin had handed to her, Sakura's eyes scanned the details. Nekozuka Yuji, twenty-one years of age, blood type A positive. A slender pink eyebrow raised at the surname, Rin had never revealed it to Sakura, and it certainly rose her suspicions of there being a link between Rin's family and Kiba's clan.
How had she not heard of this family before? The name certainly was not familiar on it's own.
She pushed open the door, her eyes instantly meeting that of a rather large black cat that looked more like the size of a panther, hissing at her entrance into the room, it's fangs bared. Her jade-eyes wide, she pressed her back flat on the now-closed door, cursing Rin momentarily as she believed it to be some kind of cruel prank until a voice spoke.
"Ankoku, leave the poor girl alone."
Instantly the large feline closed it's mouth and was rendered silent, moving towards a man who sat in the check-up chair, an amused look on his face, a hint of a smile on his lips. His eyes were raven black, his brown hue of his hair lighter and warmer than Rin's. On his face were the same purple markings, and he wore the standard Konoha Jōnin uniform, except that the sleeves of his navy shirt were much shorter than most and his arms were covered in bandages.
"Sorry about that. Ankoku doesn't like strangers, he tends to become defensive."
Sakura quickly regained her composure and simply nodded in response as she made her way from the door, laying the chart down on the nearby desk. "It's fine." she breathed, managing a polite smile. "It was just a shock, that's all."
She pulled the stethoscope from around her neck, noticing that it was lavender purple in colour. It must have been given to Rin as a present. Sakura remembered her own pale pink one that had been given to her by Shizune when she had passed the Jōnin exams with flying colours. Tsunade had never looked more proud.
Yuji's dark eyes noticeably narrowed when he saw the stethoscope, and Sakura realized that he must have recognised it as his sister's. Instead of dwelling too much on it, she moved over to the man.
"Take in a deep breath through your nose, and let it out slowly through your mouth." she instructed him, and he complied silently. The large cat had moved to the corner of the room, watching Sakura very carefully with scrutinising yellow eyes. She wondered if the beast could talk, or not, like Akamaru.
After checking his heart, circulation and lungs, Sakura moved the stethoscope around her neck again and ticked off the necessary boxes on his chart. "Okay, I'm going to need you to stand up and move over to the measuring tape on the wall so I can write down your height."
Once again, Yugi did as he was told, although a scowl had appeared on his lips. As Sakura moved over to him to record his height, he finally spoke again.
"Are you a friend of my sister's?"
Sakura did not respond, instead she focused more on completing this check-up. She could tell that Yuji had become somewhat annoyed since he had seen the stethoscope, his features darkening by the minute. When she had first arrived, he seemed just like a normal, average guy, friendly even. Now it seemed like there was a lot more under the surface.
Yuji sighed audibly before he spoke again. "That's Rin's stethoscope."
Guiding Yuji to the scales so she could measure his weight, Sakura broke her silence. "She lent it to me for this check-up, as I don't have one of my own just yet." she explained, jotting down the numbers on his chart. "Now if you could hop up on the bed, I'll check your body for any abnormalities."
Yuji raised an eyebrow, but complied yet again, taking off his flak jacket as he moved towards the bed before laying upon it, sighing.
"I know she sent you to do this because she didn't want to face me. She knows that I think she's a disgrace to the family." he spoke offhandedly, and Sakura repressed the urge to smack him across the face. "I get that medics are important, but our clan have always been partnered up with felines. Rin turned her back on the clan and it's heritage, choosing to study medic nin-jutsu instead. She is the weakest link within our family, I'm surprise our parents have been so tolerant of her. If it were my child, she'd be disowned."
The beast Ankoku purred loudly in agreement, his unnerving stare never leaving Sakura's form.
As Sakura hovered her glowing green hands across Yuji's body, the need to beat the living daylights out of him was increasing. Rin had told her that her family thought her career choice was worthless, but not that they all disapproved of her simply for choosing such a profession. This was on a whole other level.
Once done, Sakura stepped back and picked up the chart once more. "You're in perfect physical condition." she announced, glancing over at Yuji who smirked arrogantly as he slipped his jacket back over his arms.
"However, you should really consider just how useful medics can be in battles. You might come to regret it when you're lying in a ditch somewhere, bleeding to death with your team-mates dying around you. Maybe then you will be able to realize just how integral a medical shinobi might be in a squad. But sadly, by then it will be too late."
Yuji's eyes widened at Sakura's outburst, she simply smiled sweetly at him in return. Ankoku growled menacingly, but the petal-haired girl simply ignored it.
"Have a wonderful evening, Nekozuka-san."
With that, she turned and made her way out of the room, feeling rather proud of herself for standing up to him and saying something in defence of Rin. All she could do was hope that her little speech would not backfire on Rin in any way. That hadn't been her intention. She couldn't understand how Rin had dealt with such negativity from a family member.
Her own parents, whilst sceptical at first, had fully supported her desire to become a ninja. Then when she had revealed that she planned to become a medic, they had been over the moon. She'd been lucky to have such a supportive family. She just wished that Rin could have been as lucky as her.
The girl in question appeared in front of Sakura as she returned to the front desk, an apprehensive look on her face. It was obvious that she had been worried about Sakura meeting Yuji. "How was it?"
Sakura placed the chart in the file desk before handing Rin's stethoscope back to her.
"Your brother is an ass. I couldn't help but say something, I am sorry."
To Sakura's surprise, Rin laughed. "Actually, I'm pretty impressed that you did. Yuji can be rather intimidating, I never have the guts to say anything." she admitted, looking considerably happier, which made Sakura grin.
"Well, it looks like our shifts are over, shall we head to dinner?"
Here are three things you should know;
1. Yes, I have taken full creative liberty with Rin and given her an actual backstory, including disapproving brothers. It makes her seem more like an actual person to me, and helps you understand the person whom she is, what has made her like that. I hope I don't upset anyone with it, I know there are readers out there who tend to stay away from stories with OC's. But they're not going to be a major focus in the story so please don't be too worried.
2. Yes, I gave Rin a surname. Yes, it is rather similar to Kiba's. Some believe Rin might be a member of the Inuzuka clan, because of the marks on her face resemble that which all of the Inuzuka members have. However, Rin's markings are a different colour and shape to those of the Inuzuka Clan. So I came up with my own speculation that their families are linked in some way, and gave Rin's families cats instead of dogs. Inu is Japanese for dog, Neko is Japanese for cat. So I simply switched the two and ta-dah! Once again, I know this might irritate people. It shouldn't be too much of an issue, once again, it's not really an important detail. Just one I thought might be interesting.
3. I know a lot of you are wondering where Kakashi is. He will be arriving in the next chapter, I promise. It's going to be a very, very interesting meeting between he and Sakura. So keep an eye out for that update.
Please let me know what you think, feedback is incredibly helpful and very much appreciated. :)