Dear Readers,

First and foremost, thank you all for your support and feedback regarding my story. I am very grateful to know many people like it and I will do my best to update every week or two. Your continuous support is what motivates me to keep writing as well so thank you very much.

Also, I used to be an avid reader and writer the previous year but gave up on them because I was an atrocious writer back then, but now I promise not to delete my story. And I had read a beautifully written MinatoXSakura fanfic called "Kunoichi's Burden:Village First" by Lilac Haze. And now after composing my first chapter I went to reading it again after not reading it for over a year and noticed my chapter was somewhat similar to her first chapter and a fellow reader commented about that. I'm happy they still believe my fanfic can still be good, but I never mean to plagiarize or paraphrase anything when I pondered on ideas for my chapter.

However I recommend that story to anyone who loves or is interested in MinatoXSakura. Thank you all again for everything and if you have further questions or comments just review or PM me.

Enough of me blabbering, please enjoy this weeks update!

Chapter 3: Encounter

She felt like a child being rocked to sleep. Hashirama's pace forced her body to move with his steps in the security of his arms. She had been dumbfounded to see him arrive at the river, having followed her pitiful cries and vibrations from the ground with her dainty fists being the cause. She had wanted to call out to him with respect to her Hokage, but kept a tight lip.

This was the time when all the clans slaughtered each other, where there was no Konohagakure. Such approach and use of formalities would serve to make the man only more suspicious of her. She had familiarized his features from the battlefield in her time. His eyes were much kinder, more welcoming and remorseful without the charcoal black obscuring his brown irises.

She vaguely registered her stomach was bubbling with mixed spikes of ice and flames circling opposite each other like oil and water. She had the growing sensation to scrape her fingers along the area, in a vain attempt to avert a sliver of the pain elsewhere. The burning grew more unbearable and hotter as each slow second passed.

She was under the impression that if this growing sensation continued, her vitals would disintegrate and she would be consumed inside out. Though being in her state, she refrained from harming the sensitive flesh further, resorting to keeping them firmly at her sides and focused on the Shodaime's boisterous pace, whilst chewing the inside of her cheek harshly.

The medic had not meant to faint in front of the Shodaime, she was a stubborn woman but that snuck up on her as she was steadily falling further in her subconscious, her body would not recover from her exhaustion for awhile. She realized by that time she would either be executed or under watchful eyes that would rival a hawk. The loyal clansmen would keep her within their peripheral vision, as if waiting for her to snap at the Senju, giving them an excuse to kill her.

The Kunoichi regarded her situation but knew Hashirama was a kind man at heart, and would try and help her out as he was clan leader. Sakura recalled his poorly concealed interest and hopeful expression upon eyeing her metal forehead protector. She knew just what it meant to him. The man longed for peace and harmony within the clans to end the manslaughter. That drive was what helped make the foundation of the village and make a fantasy and fools dream into a reality.

He felt she was their hope, their saving grace. Sakura was god-sent to help rekindle everyone's dimming candle. She was the living proof of there ever existing an alliance of any sort. She was breathing and fighting for those ties. Her metal headband was shining and reflecting the sunlight's brilliant beams of light.

Sakura was the very epitome of truth that there is a method of obtaining tranquility, at meeting a middle ground and compromise between diverse clans. Her blood and others drenching her battle armor was a showcase that it had not come easily, it was on another wavelength.

But she was not a saving grace, her hope ran from watching Naruto picking himself back up each and every time he was kicked in the head. She was not God-sent, but merely thrown there as a last resort. She was only a miniscule percent of what used to have been several thousand shinobi at the first phases of war.

Her forehead protector shined from the pinkette wiping it with her clothes whenever time was granted to her, as it was all she had left to remind that everyone was fighting for a better future. The method had failed to have the alliance win in the end, but Sakura was taken away to see the complete aftermath, as Naruto was still alive and fighting back there when the Nidaime so kindly threw her in another time period.

She would never see Naruto again.

Sakura let that thought slip away from her as soon as it came, to prevent herself from wallowing in her despair again so soon.

Sakura felt the darkness consume her, as the cerulean sky and red armor dulled and blended into the darkness.

Her hair was trying to catch hold of something above her. It flew in spontaneous movements around her head as she recognized the feeling of collapsing again. At first she thought the man holding her had decidedly dropped her, but the prolonged sensation gave rise to the thought that she was lucidly dreaming.

Craning her neck to peer at the ground, the black was subsiding and she could see her reflection. The waters were an eerie dark green and the rusted walls curved from where she must've fallen, decorated with torches symmetrically aligned.

Effortlessly twisting her body, her feet were welcomed with an applaud of splashing water ringing in her ears, the ripples leaving her form and bouncing off the walls of the vast cave. She felt his presence. Her back was turned to him. His labored breathing hit her back and hair, ruffling the worn out fabric. His breath was like a soft wind that cooled her exposed flesh, sending a chill down her spine.

He said nothing to her, but the kyuubi knew Sakura was aware of him. His eyes narrowed at her tiny frame. A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat, not so much as a warning to the woman, but more of showing his irritation of the situation.

"Kurama" there was no malice or indifference in her tone, speaking as if merely regarding a fellow comrade. She said his real name and had it roll off her tongue, the tone bouncing off the walls to fill in the silence before them.

She only ever saw the tailed fox from afar. Cloaking Naruto with his once menacing chakra brought some unwelcoming memories before her eyes. She tenderly stroked her right arm, tracing the three claw marks subconsciously. The beast watched her intently, lessening his intense gaze. It seemed Sakura passed whatever test he had thrown at her. He did not hate her, and it seemed the feeling was mutual. She was a forgiving person, and she had witnessed firsthand that the fox and Naruto had come to a median as beast and jinchuuriki.

Nothing was impossible when you were Naruto Uzumaki. He had saved people's lives and Konohagakure countless times. He always put others before himself, and he was always the one to turn enemies like Zabuza, Nagato and Obito to die as a better person.

Naruto was the one who changed the hearts of many for the better, and that gift of his extended out to all the tailed beasts, being able to get along with them and refer to each other like equals.

The exhausted medic turned around and gave the fox her full attention. His towering figure had her tilting her head to meet his piercing gaze. His nine tails flicked spasmodically at random intervals, making them resemble a huge fan in the back. His coat of fur was a burnt orange, his body having been thin from lack of chakra. The fox was hungry for chakra, to replenish his sytem and regain a healthy weight. he was more irritable when he was in his more vulnerable state.

The burning sensation in her stomach abandoned her, leaving her the confidence that it was kyuubi that summoned her using that pain to have her collapse in front of the Shodaime and appear before him while unconscious. Seems a brief confrontation wasn't going to be enough this time.

For a split second her mind wandered off with the question if this was how Naruto felt every time he encountered the beast, or if there were other more simpler ways to contact the kyuubi more conveniently and painlessly.

She also didn't want to consider how or why she was able to see Kurama like this when she herself wasn't a jinchuuriki.

'Naruto' her eyes lowered into lazy slits, then shut them tightly, swallowing the huge lump in her throat that prevented her from breathing properly.

Their memories were taunting her, dancing around her head like a mantra. They were seeping into her heart and bringing out the worst of her, the broken, useless, traumatized and fragile girl. She threatened to collapse with the weight of her tears stuck in her tear ducts. She bared her teeth and knit her brow together. Sakura was more fearsome, rational, headstrong, and intimidating when she wasn't wallowing in her continuous failure.

The flower had grown thorns to protect herself and other outside forces from eating away her delicately made barrier and keep her inner turmoil in its place. But it seemed with every painful situation she head-butted, made it harder for her to retain her poker face since everything hit her in the heart and chipped away at her mask.

Kurama regarded the pink-haired Kunoichi in front of him. Her eyes had given him her full attention but the sight before her was enough for her to withdraw from the situation at hand and her eyes took on a faraway look. She was seemingly unaware of her being in a daze as she was, trying to keep her form contained as she was seeing other things that weren't in the room.

She was taking punches that hit her emotionally, no matter how tough she tried to make herself appear. He couldn't blame her, but he wouldn't let her continue in her self-pitying manner for long. He needed to tell her what she needed to know and how to go about her first few days alive within the Senju borders. Her presence alone would change the course of the future, but she needed to change things for the better, not make them worse.

"Sakura Haruno." He more announced for her attention back to the present. She was a respectable Kunoichi and medic, the lilac seal demanded attention from everyone she passed by.

Sure enough, the woman addressed let out a soft gasp and her eyes refocused on his own set of amber orbs. Some emotion still swam through her green pools but she was alert enough to handle what the kyuubi had to offer her. At times like this she wished she was still numb, where she felt nothing and didn't lose her focus and lower her guard by reminiscing.

Knowing he had all ears, he began speaking directly, leaning his own weight to be closer to her a bit, making himself more situated and comfortable to state the needed and answer any of her questions.

"Naruto is a stubborn brat...But there was no way of defeating Kaguya and Madara. A feat like that may have been more probable if Sasuke and Kakashi were still alive." At their names Sakura visibly stiffened. Her body started rattling and shaking like a leaf. He knew what she was seeing right now. She had been there when Sasuke and Kakashi drew their last tired breaths. He knew he was hurting her more but she had to hear him out and hurt more before she could start healing.

"Sakura, after they left this damned earth it took a toll on Naruto as you should have realized yourself. He looked after you much more often, keeping tabs on your chakra through his sage mode chakra. He wanted to make sure you were alive, but he was nearly out of chakra and will to fight, as you were one of few survivors of the shinobi alliance. You became his priority."

Sakura was barely listening now. Kurama's voice rang loud and clear in the cave but was becoming background noise for her.

The fox realized this and set his claw down next to her shivering body and said her name clearly again for her to hear. He tried to remain calm and be more understanding. He needed to give her a minute to process all this before she closed herself off completely and he wouldn't ever get through to her then.

Two streams of tears cascaded down her face on either side, the rhythmic sounds of water droplets rescued her ears, helping her to breathe with the pattern of dripping water.

"He and Yondaime placed part of my chakra as a cloak around your summon, Katsuya. That is why the slug's skin looked orange, she was keeping it as a second skin on her so she can easily place it into your system along with her healing chakra. But this exchange of my chakra had to be done quickly, as it could have potentially harmed your summon and Madara would have snatched my loose power." The woman before him had her mouth slightly ajar, her eyes drinking in their information intently. The tears still leaked out angrily, but they graciously weren't taking away all her needed attention.

"Kaguya then sent Naruto, Yondaime, and Madara into a separate dimension to fight." The medic widened her eyes at this. Her vision was growing more hazy. Her breathing came in obnoxious gasps, her chest tightened more. Naruto barely got out of a life or death situation under her watch and the Yondaime permanently lost his right arm from a previous attack.

"Due to Madara being in the other dimension, the chakra receivers that stole chakra and mobility from both the Shodaime and Nidaime were ineffective at that point, and they made a point to have you sent to this time to prevent the birth of this madness from ever occurring again."

He allowed another moments pause for Sakura to retain all the vital information through her big forehead, as he hoped he was answering some of her questions she had been itching to figure out.

"Kurama..." She began, but her voice became small as she bowed her head in defeat, regret, denial.

The kyuubi had to refrain from letting out another irritated sigh. She was always degrading her ability to overcome boulders set in her path. She had been motivated to become strong like her teammates and walk shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Now that they were both gone, she was lost on how to move forward. Now he needed to have things go from push to shove.

Before Naruto, Kurama hated mankind and sought out to destroy the villages and demonstrate to man what it was like to be in pain, to be the cause of pain and be surrounded by it. Naruto had Kurama spin his head one hundred eighty degrees and help out the nations.

Naruto wanted to help out him and all the other bijuu, and now was his chance again in being with this girl that was precious to the blonde idiot.

"You need to stop this stupidity! What's the point of hard work if you don't believe in yourself?" The words were thrown at her, and to his satisfaction, her head shot back up. Her eyes were full of shock, her mouth was set in a firm line. He had her again. Her head resurfaced from the deep depths of her sadness and she had a new purpose. She had another chance at redeeming herself and protecting her loved ones.

She always strived to become stronger. To become more useful and to be able to protect those she held dear in her big heart. She had grown, spiritually, emotionally, and physically after several years. No wasn't the time to become her own enemy when she had another chance at something better for her comrades.

Naruto and the previous Hokage had bestowed their faith in her. They got her to safety from Kaguya, Zetsu, and Madara for now. Now it was her time to repay them.

Now she had Kurama on her side and had an idea of how to prevent Madara from falling under the Uchiha clan's curse of hatred.

She was the heiress of the will of fire.

The man had witnessed the scene that played out in front of him mere moments ago. His long obsidian hair swayed with the cool breeze. He stared at the spot from his perch on top a branch by the river.

The pink-haired enigma had captured his attention, from her screams of agony, her effortless destruction of the ground, to the surprised and hopeful expression worn on Hashirama when he laid his eyes upon the woman. The Uchiha had noticed the diamond seal that was decorated on her forehead too, deeming it a key to her true strength.

Hashirama had worn the same hopeful expression whenever he talked about making a village and uniting clans.

Madara scowled at the vacant area, his crossed arms tightened around each other, his jaw jutted out as he grit his teeth together.

The woman was exotic and too noticeable, emotional, and under-dressed for a shinobi. However, she reeked with ample soothing chakra and another that rested in her forehead where the seal sat, and another that circled around her abdomen. His sharingan hadn't overlooked anything in his brief observation of her.

She didn't seem to belong to any clan, but wore a headband around her neck that was what must have gotten Hashirama in a jolly bunch.

"An exotic enigma indeed" he said to the open air, letting it carry away with the wind and left to his clan's compound. He would eventually find out about this woman, after all, not many things caught his utmost interest.

Tobirama gazed out the top floor window of his house, overlooking the dense forest that stretched for miles.

His brother came into view, holding a petite woman in his arms.

Tobirama was growing anxious. Those tremors and faint screams were what made the Senju place his finger on the ground and search for chakra signatures towards the area of the sound's location.

It unsettled him and his elder brother, they both shared a loathing to children and women having to fight in the war.

The loss of his two little brothers had left both remaining Senju brothers pained from their deaths. Though Tobirama was more discrete in concealing his emotions, he still felt very pained and forced himself not to show much emotion as what his father had taught them all as Shinobi.

Tobirama was relieved for the fact that the woman was obviously not an enemy, as they had to kill her if she were one. But he was anxious due to the fact that when he checked the chakra signatures again when Hashirama left the compound, a few short minutes later another shinobi was in the area, but the close range was too short-lived for both parties to have even encountered each other, but surely the other ninja had seen the exchange between Hashirama and the woman. He was certain the other ninja had also sensed the two powerful chakras that lay dormant in her small frame.

Some trouble may come out of this.

He approached the older Senju, waiting for him to finish placing the unconscious woman on the futon, placing a blanket over her tattered shinobi attire.

Tobirama watched the exchange, taking in the state the woman was in. She had striking pink hair that fanned out around her face like a halo. Her dark eyelashes were wet with tears, her skin red from crying, lips bruised, and her breathing came out strained.

Her forehead adorned a diamond seal that held massive amounts of chakra.

She was exotic, dare he say beautiful, but he knew better than to take any interest in women. He was a shinobi, and a respected one, he did not have time to take on silly affairs when he himself had a hard time trusting many people, let alone outsiders like this pinkette. There were other matters to put into the limelight, they could not afford to brush them aside.

"Elder brother, there was someone else who saw you with the woman. Did you notice them?" Hashirama stood up after checking the kunoichi was comfortable as possible and led his brother out the room.

Closing the door quietly, Hashirama averted his brown eyes to rest upon his younger brother's red ones.

"No." he started out. "When I arrived at the scene it was just the kunoichi. When I left I didn't check for anyone else, so they must have arrived after i came."

Tobirama settled for crossing his arms, letting out a soft sigh.

"You know the enemy could have put out that woman as bait to lure a kind-hearted person out. She could be a spy for all we know. We can't let her stay here." He stated bluntly. The younger Senju was well aware that this argument would be close to fruitless when dealing with Hashirama, but as leader of the clan he needed to consider both sides of the coin, and Tobirmama was always the one to pester him on topics as these.

"We have no reason to push her away or execute her, Tobirama. She will rest here with us and we will question her, as she is not an enemy. She bares heavy grief within her, her eyes were very hollow and drained of light. She is part of an alliance and it appears she is one of few remaining. Brother, she is our hope. She is proof that clans can join together and fight alongside each other."

"A headband isn't enough to go by your desires and hopes! Also, that power inside her, it isn't human, it's more dark and dangerous." Tobirama countered, his jaw jutted out in an exasperated manner. His brother dreamed of foolish desires that were too good to be real.

"Tobirama, we will look after her. Things don't alwasy have to be dealt with in such aggressive approach, brother. I leave her under your care for now. No harm is to come to her." At that, Hashirama gave his brother a stern gaze that threatened Tobirama to say otherwise. The man left the red-eyed man to ponder his situation with irritation being his dominant emotion at the moment, clicking his tongue before returning to his room, giving the closed door a last glance. He would check up on her in a few hours.

He would find out what the woman was hiding. it was unheard of that someone could heal such deadly wounds, only his beloved older brother could accomplish such a task. He pushed his left hand through his hair, proceeding to leave.

At that, the only sound was his feet hitting the floorboards, creaking sounds echoing the halls as he let his mind wander off elsewhere.