Bygone

Part 3 • Stranger

It was a warm and nice day. The sky littered with clouds with the sun peeking out. A warm breeze disturbing the trees. The chirping of birds made sure the day wasn't spent in silence.

All which greatly disturbed Sakura. It tugged at her senses and reflexes. Pulled her to a time that isn't anymore — that never will be (she'll be sure of that). Constantly jumping and waiting for an attack was slowly wearing her down. No longer able to achieve any sort of sleep (even when in war she could sleep). She was exhausted and wired, never a good combination in a shinobi — especially a war veteran.

It's been perhaps a month now since she first awoke in her old bedroom. After leaving the Land of Waves, Sakura set her sights on anywhere besides the Land of Fire. It was too close to home, to the place she's seen get destroyed countless times, to where all her loved ones (not her loved ones, they aren't hers) are still alive and young and naive.

The thought of just how naive they were (are) almost makes Sakura sick. She loves her village, she truly does with all her heart, but she will admit that there are problems in its teaching. How she wished they'd been a bit harsher, wished they'd been more invested in their shinobi career. There was a lot she wished was different.

Sakura releases a deep breath through her nostrils.

But that's the whole reason she's here, isn't it? To make things different. To make things better.

And that's why she's currently in the Land of Hot Springs, or more specifically: Yugakure, the Village Hidden in Hot Water.

She remembers the reports she's read from Then. Yugakura was largely responsible for most of the peace that was held, having been the "village that has forgotten wars". But it was a shinobi village first and foremost. And it was the birthplace of one of the many deadly S-classed missing-nin.

Sakura remembers the aged looking report. It was dated just a month or so after Yugakura declared its transformation from a military force. There was a bit of a massacre, the report had stated, by the number one shinobi objected to its transformation. The shinobi became a missing-nin after he slaughtered his fellow Yugakura shinobi.

While she never met the man herself, she'd recognize the man responsible for Asuma's death anywhere. Shikamaru was very thorough in his report on that mission.

But here in the past, she can't help but feel like she'd disappoint everyone — especially Naruto. Her breath falters remembering her brother in everything but blood. She remembers his smile, warm aura, his encouraging words. Sakura sips on her tea, internally fighting to remember the good times. She had sat down in a small cafe by the window to watch the people walk by.

To watch as a silver-haired teenage boy saunters by, cursing and glaring in his bad mood, a triple bladed scythe over his shoulders.

She's almost startled by how young he is. He looks to be in his mid-teens. It made sense, the reports she's read described him to be in his twenties but knowing he was immortal, they couldn't be certain.

With a quick scan of her brown eyes, she's already noticed several things.

He doesn't wear a necklace or medallion, Sakura remembers there was a mention of it within Shikamaru's report. He had noted that it was connected with the God he followed: Jashin.

She's read up on the religion that surrounds the God. It's an old one really, information on it is hard to come across. So she wonders, how did he come upon it?

Sakura could almost hear Naruto's voice of optimism against her voice of logic and negativity.

Lead him on a different path, Naruto's message would be. With Hidan on a different path, he could become an ally.

Kill him while you can, Is her line of thought. With him dead now, there wouldn't be as many problems in the future.

Sakura finishes her tea casually. She pays before leaving to follow the boy that's slowly getting further away.

Haruno Sakura has been sent in the past in hopes the future would be better, or at least easier. Both options would lead to just that, but which to choose?

. I .

The month seemed to drag on to Ino. Each day there was always a reminder of her bubblegum haired friend, from her favorite color to clothes to food. It was as if the universe was mocking her for something.

It was just last night when she overheard the conversation between her parents. They were calling off the search. It's already been a month and the trail has gone cold. They were proclaiming Haruno Sakura dead.

They were giving up.

They were leaving her friend all alone and scared.

She just had to be alive. Why couldn't they see that? Sakura wasn't dead! She wasn't.

Ino had stayed home the next day instead of going to class. She locked herself away in her bedroom, refusing to leave. She wouldn't come out to eat. She eventually locked herself in her bathroom. She was aware that they'd probably make the announcement of Sakura's death at the Academy sometime during the week.

She couldn't care less.

Yamanaka Ino was slowly become depressed.

. II .

Not many were shocked at the announcement. It had been a month already, they were expecting it. It was only the Academy students that were really shocked, for the most part.

Shikamaru had already guessed and shared his thoughts with his best friend Choji. It was sad but it was the most likely thing to happen. Sasuke had his own suspicions, so it wasn't that much of shock.

The three did notice however, that no one really seemed that distraught. Not like Ino. And not like Naruto currently was. What they saw was sympathy, most of it fake.

It sickened them really. While they didn't really know Sakura that well, she was still a classmate, a comrade. She was still one of them. And this is how they treat her death? This is how they honor a classmate, comrade, friend?

To Sasuke, such behavior didn't really faze him. He's witnessed it before firsthand. He can remember the pitying looks, their whispers, after he woke up. He can remember how they looked at him and his clan before that.

To Sasuke, this was simply the way of the village.

. III .

Hidan has just gotten back from a mission only to overhear some rumors. The people talked about how his Village was going to transform, was going to stop being a shinobi village.

It pissed him off so he threatened the talkers to shut up or else!

He was walking around cursing at anyone that mentioned the rumor again. Why would his village want to turn away from the way of shinobi?

So it only pissed him off more when a brown eyed and haired civilian woman bumped into him.

"Watch where you're going bitch," he hissed with a glare, interrupting the woman's apologies. Her eyes narrowed at him, taking him by surprise.

"My apologies," she says calmly before rolling her eyes. "I'm sincerely sorry a shinobi couldn't avoid a clumsy civilian like me." She pushed her way past him, leaving him to stare at her spot in shock and anger.

Hidan turned around, seething, "Whatcha' say ya bitch!?"

Unknown to him, with her back turned to him, she smirks. Sakura had thought over how she would get close to the boy. Thought over what her facade should be. She had observed that by angering Hidan, you got his attention. And that's what she needed. By getting close to the boy, she has more chances of killing him or straying his path. Really, all Sakura was doing was stalling her decision.

Plus, it was great practice to play a civilian, to play the part of someone else. Her skills in acting could use some brushing up on.

She turned around with an annoyed look. "Oh? So now you're deaf?" She asks sarcastically.

That made Hidan stop and stare at her. She didn't move or shift, she only reassured herself where her weapons were hidden. She reassures herself that there's too big of a crowd for anything to be done recklessly.

Hidan walks up to her and leers, "Feisty. Just who the fuck do you think you are to talk to me like that?" He shifts the scythe off his shoulders. It's an obvious intimidation tactic. Sakura raises her eyebrow at him.

"I'm Saki. Who are you to be putting yourself on some pedestal?" She responds dryly. Her eyes drift to his scythe next to her. He had moved it to rest against her shoulders, the blades uncomfortably close to her exposed neck. She blinks back at him, her raised brow remaining.

A smirk crosses his face. He's never met a civilian that wasn't afraid of him. The stranger was interesting to him.

"You from around here bitch?" He asks, removing his scythe to leaning against it.

"Is that how you greet all women?" She asks instead of answering. The woman didn't sneer in disgust or anger. She looked unfazed. The stranger named Saki sure was interesting to Hidan. She didn't aggravate him like other civilians. She amused him actually.

He wonders, how far can he push her buttons?

He winks at her, "Only you sweetheart." Sakura is unamused, but she plays her part diligently. It seems like Hidan has taken an interest in 'Saki'. Now, how close can 'Saki' get?

. IX .

Hi?

So sorry that it's been so long and that the chapter is so short! Sorry!

In all honesty, I actually rewrote this chapter 3 times.

I'm so sorry!

I want to thank you for sticking around still.

Should probably put a warning at the beginning of this book saying "slow updates" huh?

OH! If you haven't noticed! I changed the name and description of the book.

Previously known as "Back To the Past" now it's called "Bygone"