A/N: Yes, I know it's been forever, and yes, I'm totally alive, and yes this is a new chapter. I've been on and off about writing little snippets of this fic, I'm surprised it's been so long since I've updated. And yes, I still don't have an exact idea of where I'm going with this story, but so far, I'm enjoying it a lot and I hope you guys are too.
I won't drag this author's note too much, but I will say that updates might still take a while. I'm writing about 15k words for every chapter (which is about 50 pages in google docs), so it's a lot to write. I'm really happy with everyone sticking with me on this though. So anyway, happy reading!
El
Chapter 4
.
Her world was silently still.
Sakura could feel the natural energy around her with clarity, nudging it to merge with her own chakra. Everything felt perfectly aligned, as if the universe was falling into even steps. Then the pain came.
She screamed, losing her concentration as her entire body felt like it was being burned from the inside out. Her body convulsed painfully, and she clutched the rock under her for support, trying not to lose consciousness. There was a distinct bang as all the chakra she gathered in her body dissipated, flying back into the earth once more.
"Sakura!" Kanae's deep voice jolted her eyes to open. "Look at me."
She pulled her chin up slowly, gasping and unable to do more than whimper, but she met his eyes squarely.
"I can't do this," she groaned, trying to blink away the pain in her head. The roaring sound of the waterfall she sat under drowned out her own voice, but she knew he could hear her. "How many times has it been now?"
Kanae frowned. "Not enough. You had it perfectly—I saw the markings appear around your eyes."
"I'm too weak," she cried bitterly, unable to stop herself from shaking. How many times has her body rejected it? How many sessions had she achieved the perfect balance but was unable to handle the combination? "My body's not strong enough to handle Sage Mode. I— I'm not like Naruto! He took a week to master it, and it's been months! This is my limit. I just… can't…"
She buried her face in the crook of her elbow, unable to look at Kanae in the eyes. Shame and disappointment spread through her chest like a dark reminder of her constant failures. How could she ever think of saving the world when she couldn't even handle bearing the weight of Sage Mode?
A large hand grabbed a fistful of her shirt, lifting her into the air with ease. Sakura yelped in alarm, turning to see the man responsible.
"Kakashi," she said tiredly, entirely having forgotten that he was watching over her. The only one she had left in this world.
"Sakura, stop," he said firmly, eyes darkening as he stared at her. "You are not Naruto. No one else is Naruto but Naruto himself. Stop comparing yourself to what others have done in their lifetime— you'll never match up."
She flinched, feeling each word place a stake in her chest.
"Because the Sakura I know is better than that," he continued, not once breaking eye contact. "When something completely stumps her, she always finds a way around it— never giving in, never giving up."
She let her head drop. "This is a matter of genetics, Kakashi. How am I supposed to figure out a way to combat something that my body isn't capable of handling in the first place?"
His lips twitched into a small grin, using his other hand to force her chin back up. "I don't know. I'm not you, after all. But the Haruno Sakura I'm familiar with is pretty intelligent, so I'm sure she'll figure out a way."
He lowered her back onto the slab of rock, and Sakura gave a quite exhale, feeling the rough texture under her palms. After a moment of long silence, she slowly raised her head, looking straight at Kanae.
"Right now, the only thing that's stopping me from attaining Sage Mode is my own body, correct?"
He gave a quick nod, forked tongue sliding between his teeth. "You were able to perfectly balance senjutsu chakra after your third day of practice. So yes, the only thing stopping you is your lack of extreme chakra levels."
She scrunched her face in thought, looking at her own hands in confirmation. After another minute, she glanced at the waterfall behind her, watching every drop that fell from heaven's height.
"I need some time to study," she said at last, determination lacing her voice. "I need a scroll and some ink."
"Have a plan?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
She rose to her feet, meeting his gaze. "Not one you're going to like, unfortunately." She leaped away from the waterfall, coating her bare feet with chakra as to not slip on the rocks. "I need you to help me sort through every one of Orochimaru's studies with me— specifically the ones pertaining to his cursed seals!"
Kakashi sighed from behind her. "Not Orochimaru again…"
.
.
Their meeting wasn't planned.
She had a span two months away from Konoha as she accompanied her parents on a business trip to Kumo. Sakura always cursed her past self on these trips, wondering why she never bothered to follow her parents on their journey around the world— oh right, she was too busy trying to look good for Sasuke back in those days.
Grumbling away those thoughts, Sakura focused on the landscape before her, dispelling the genjutsu that surrounded the immediate area. She needed to focus now.
She had left behind a kage bunshin with her parents, and Sakura knew that with all the bland activity they did, there was no way it was going to get dispelled. She had an entire two months away from Konoha, and she was going to make good use of the time, eight years old or not.
So she decided to track down Orochimaru's hideouts. She had broken through each and every one in her past timeline, gathering his research and reading through his sick experiments with a hard pressed jaw.
While being in the Kumo area, Sakura knew it was the perfect chance to visit the Northern Hideout. It was one of Orochimaru's largest, and arguably, his most important. It was where all his crucial experimentation happened, and where he learned to develop the curse seals.
Jumping onto the rocky landscape, Sakura quickly made her way towards the lab, finding it settled nicely between two colossal rock structures. Exactly as she remembered it.
Readjusting her Anbu gear incase a fight happened, Sakura made her way towards the large entrance, climbing the front steps as if she was a welcomed guest. She remembered all his hideouts, and was confident that she wouldn't get lost.
As soon as she entered through the double doors, screaming filled her ears. She glanced at the entrance, deducing that there was some sort of silence seal around the walls that stopped noise from spilling outside.
Ignoring the screams for now, Sakura gave a wide pulse of her chakra, sensing for a particular signature she knew to be Orochimaru's or Kabuto's. Surprisingly, they were absent. She couldn't know with exact reason what they were up to, but there were plenty of other hideouts they could be at, and Sakura was perfectly content knowing that they wouldn't be bothering her.
She padded down the hall in sure steps, already having disabled all her limiter seals. If worst came to worst, she was positive she could hiraishin back to the room her parents were staying in Kumo.
The volume of screams suddenly pitched as she slipped into one of the central hallways, and broke down one of the doors with a solid kick. The smell of death and blood filled her nose as she stepped in, spotting each body that was strewn across the floor. Most of them were dead, rotting away on the concrete floor, muscles and bones beginning to show through. The ones that were alive were sitting up against the wall, trying in vain to shield their eyes from the light that passed through from the open doorway. The screams originated from two men who were writhing on the ground, the curse mark spreading around their body, but utterly incompatible with the seal. She knew they would die within a few days.
"K-Konoha Anbu…"
She turned towards the hoarse voice, glancing down at the man closest to her. He looked to be about Kakashi's age, blonde hair matted with blood and dirt from over the years. She didn't recognize him, but assumed he was one of the many shinobi Orochimaru had abducted when he first defected from Konoha.
"Is it true?" he continued breathlessly, eyes wide and glassy. "Did Hokage-sama send you?"
Technically, Sarutobi was on a man-hunt for her after she had killed Danzo, but she couldn't bear telling him otherwise.
"Can you walk?" she asked instead.
He gave the barest of nods.
"Take anyone else with you," she ordered. "I don't have rations, nor any other men to take you back. The journey home will be yours— a week's travel south."
He swallowed thickly, giving another nod. "And Orochimaru's wardens?"
She frowned. "I didn't meet anyone else here yet."
The man's eyes widened in clear horror, shrinking back. "There's three here. Two of them are combat type, and one's a sensor. All those who've tried leaving were brought back within the same day. It's impossible—"
Sakura turned around just as a chakra signature came barreling into her senses, and the door she had broken down was covered by a large figure of a man.
"It's him," the man squeaked, shuffling back in fear.
Sakura stood slowly, eyeing the shinobi in front of her. He was large, towering over her small height, with protruding muscles along his limbs, and long shaggy hair.
"Intruder," he spoke at last, beady eyes staring down at her.
Not bothering with the pleasantries, Sakura executed the fastest shunshin she could pull, flashing behind him with her hand raised, and jabbed him in the center of his back with high frequency chakra. The man didn't even have time to grunt as his body exploded in a mess of blood and organs, spilling over the floor, much like Danzo's had done.
One down.
She turned to face the konoha nin, noting that he was covered by the aftermath of her attack. He was still frozen, mouth agape and eyes wide.
She crouched down, staring through the slits of her Anbu mask. "Before you leave, is there anything you can tell me about the current state of this hideout and what Orochimaru's been up to?"
Her voice seemed to shock him back into reality as jolted back. "I-I don't know the details. All I can conclude is that he's been working on some cursed seal for the past few years. Hardly anyone survives the ordeal. Those two— " he pointed to the ones screaming on the floor, "just came back yesterday night with those marks."
"I see," she murmured, getting to her feet. "I'll find the other two wardens. Get out of here as soon as you can."
"I— thank you!"
Sakura didn't look back as she pivoted on her heel, dashing down the hallway. She repeated her steps through each door she knocked down, finding the situation in every room get worse and worse as she got deeper into the building.
The other two wardens were easy to find and take down. The sensor had barely any combat skills to defend himself with, and the third nin was definitely a long range type— one she properly disposed of with a swift tap to the chest. While they were formidable as a team, Sakura suspected that they were placed by Orochimaru on the basis of stopping the prisoners from leaving— weakened and chakra drained escapees, not fighting outside intruders like Sakura.
As she neared one of the larger hallways, she spotted an unnaturally wide door, obviously much more dense and protected with chakra coated chains blocking the entrance. Sakura neared the door, sensing two chakra signatures inside— one of which she recognized.
Jugo.
She glanced at the door again, realizing that it had been opened. The bolts were undone, and the chain was halfway draped across the metal. Steeling herself for the encounter, Sakura pushed the door open slightly, letting light fill the room.
Faster than the normal flight of kunai, four white spears of bone shot directly towards her, stabbing into the back wall as Sakura dodged. There was a roar as a large, disfigured fist smashed next to her head, and she briefly met the owners eyes. They were tinted yellow, but the lack of bloodlust made her understand that the transformation was taken on his own will.
Sliding under another barrage of sharp projectiles, Sakura gathered chakra to her fingertips, slamming her hand into Jugo's diaphragm, right where the concentration of his chakra network lay. He grunted, his bodily transformations suddenly disappearing as he collapsed to the ground.
"Jugo!"
Sakura turned to the origin of the voice, finally getting a chance to analyze the second occupant. He was still a child by proportions, looking around Jugo's age, with snowy white hair parted neatly in a zigzag formation. Two red dots adorned his skin right above his eyebrows, and red marks decorated the area around his eyes. Although she had never met him in her past timeline, he was one she read about in many of Orochimaru's studies.
Kaguya Kimimaro.
The boy who was originally supposed to take Sasuke's place a vessel had it not been for his strange illness. The one who, despite being on the brink of death, fought off two jinchuriki and a taijutsu expert— and nearly won. The one who had a religious dedication to Orochimaru and had a kekkei genkai of bone that baffled all medics around the nation.
She watched him rush to Jugo's side, surprise written over his face as the orange-haired boy blinked sleepily, all traces of his transformation gone.
"Mmfh," Jugo grunted. "Wha… what happened."
Sakura made one step towards the two, and Kimimaro stiffened, crouching protectively over his closest friend.
"I'm sorry," she raised her hands in a universal sign of peace. "I didn't mean to startle you two."
"Who are you?" Kimimaro demanded, voice low. "You're not one of Orochimaru's shinobi."
"I'm not," she replied honestly. "I just came to visit."
Before Kimimaro could respond to her snarky words, Jugo came around.
"What did you do to me?" he asked, craning his neck so he could try and see through her mask. "My body…"
Sakura crouched as well, trying to seem as least intimidating as possible. "I knew someone a lot like you, Jugo. He had crazy fits of rage and would be unable to control himself because of his clan's power."
"How do you know me?" he whispered out, eyes wide with disbelief.
Because you were the one who accompanied Kakashi and I to every one of Orochimaru's hideouts. You were caring and soft-hearted, willing to help and understood that Sasuke was beyond our power.
"Like I said, I've seen someone like you before," she said vaguely. "And it's a seal that I developed for him that temporarily disrupts the flow of natural energy within the body, effectively halting his transformations and fits."
Jugo was, after all, much easier to work with when he wasn't trying to kill her and Kakashi at random intervals.
The boy bolted on his knees quickly, startling Kimimaro who was still glancing between them. "Can this be permanent? Please, I-I don't want to kill anyone!"
"But Jugo…" Kimimaro looked scandalized. "Orochimaru will cure you."
He shook his head, eyes downcast. "No… It's already been three years since I came here. Although this cage is nice, I don't think Orochimaru is going to cure me. He never said he could."
Sakura stilled at the revelation. Jugo had told her he seeked out Orochimaru on his own when he was young, but just not how young. The boy in front of her was only eleven according to her math, and he had already been in isolation for so long. She hadn't even realized he was here when she first walked in.
"Yes," she answered at last. "I can make it permanent. I can even reorder the seal so that you can willingly use your special power when needed. It'll only stop the random rages."
Jugo looked at her as if she held all the answers in the world, and for a moment, maybe she seemed that way.
"You would do that?" he asked, hope lacing his expression.
She nodded. "Yes. For you, I will."
Kimimaro suddenly bolted back to life, giving her a hard stare. If he was more expressive, she would have thought he was glaring at her. "Jugo, no. She's not one of Orochimaru's shinobi. He'll be furious."
Getting into a sitting position, Jugo looked uncomfortably at the one person that may have been his closest friend and ally. "Kimimaro, do you remember that one night we talked about our purpose in this world?"
Sakura watched from the side as the white-haired boy looked suddenly grave. "Yes."
"Your purpose was to serve Orochimaru," Jugo began. "To repay his kindness— " Sakura inwardly balked at the description, never understanding how the words 'Orochimaru' and 'kindness' could be used in the same sentence, "— and to be of use to him. Do you remember mine?"
Kimimaro blinked. "To contain your power."
"I first came here believing that maybe Orochimaru could do it," Jugo muttered. "But now… but now there's someone who can. Who really said yes to my purpose."
"It's a lie," Kimimaro said, glancing at her. For someone who grew up alone, his eyes were swimming with concealed emotion.
Jugo turned to look at her as well. "Do I… well, what do I have to give in return?"
"Nothing," she shrugged. It was nothing compared to how much she owed him. "I just want you to live your life happily and do the things you want, without having to worry about accidentally killing anyone. It's what my friend said too."
Jugo looked overwhelmed. "I— "
Kimimaro suddenly lurched forward, caught in an intense coughing fit as he clutched his chest. Blood spilt down his chin and both Sakura and Jugo lost sight of their conversation.
"Kimimaro!"
Sakura bolted forward, not caring about whether or not the boy trusted her. She had read dozens of folders just on his illness from Kabuto, and knew the severity of it.
Glowing green hands pressed against his chest as Sakura did her best to see what was happening. She pulled apart his shirt, momentarily pausing when she noticed his clean skin. He wasn't marked with the curse seal yet. She knew from her readings that he was the only one to receive the Cursed Seal of Earth, and deduced that it was still being perfected by Orochimaru— or the boy was too young. Shaking away those thoughts, she pressed forward. "Jugo, help me hold him down."
He seemed to hesitate before pulling Kimimaro's body straight, eyes never leaving her hands. "Are you a medic?"
"I am," she replied absentmindedly, her focus entirely on Kimimaro. It was just as Kabuto observed. A strange sort of virus was corroding his body from the inside. The majority of it came from his lungs, but Sakura could see the deterioration happening through his limbs and muscles. By all accounts, the boy should have been dead before he turned fifteen.
"Kabuto is usually here to help but…" Jugo trailed off, looking nervous for his friend.
Sending a surge of chakra into his chest, Sakura forced the remaining blood to be expelled out his throat. She tilted his head to the side, allowing the dark fluid to spill past his lips and onto the floor. He was mumbling something, but the pain must have been so intense, his eyes grew glassy and unseeing.
Sakura sent a sharp stab of chakra to Kimimaro's temple, forcing him to lose consciousness. "I can help him, but not here."
"You want to leave?"
Throwing Kimimaro over her small shoulder, she looked back. "I'm going to leave. Do you want him to live?"
Jugo looked torn. "He would be angry if we took him away. Orochimaru would be angry with him."
"I want you to think about yourself," Sakura said impatiently. "You and Kimimaro. Not Orochimaru. Do you want him to live?"
Sakura was pushing him, and she knew it. Even if she didn't give him immediate medical treatment, she knew Kimimaro would somehow make it through for another few years.
"Yes, I do," Jugo said softly.
"Then follow me."
Turning on her heel, Sakura bolted out of the prison, holding back her speed in order for Jugo to keep up. They ran through the elaborate hallways, and she saw Jugo give a quick and wary glance at the bloodstained walls of each warden's death.
Within moments, the two left the doors of Orochimaru's Northern hideout, and Sakura threw a glance over her shoulder. "There's a small civilian island on the edge of Kumo. I can find a room for us to temporarily stay at but it's going to take a few hours of travel to get there. Can you keep up?"
Jugo gave a firm nod, and Sakura readjusted her grip on Kimimaro before leaping onto the water. "Let's go."
…
Sakura slumped back in exhaustion as she let her medical chakra fizz out from her hands. She sat in one of the old wooden chairs, trying to comprehend what she had just discovered.
Kimimaro's body was nothing like she had ever seen before.
Everything about shinobi that made them human, simply didn't apply to Kimimaro. His kekkei genkai had altered him on a cellular level. She couldn't even apply logical medical conclusions on his illness.
"How is he?" Jugo sat worriedly on the other side of the bed, mouth pressed in thin line.
"He'll be okay," Sakura replied honestly. She had removed parts of the illness that she could, and worked to heal up the areas that had deteriorated over time. It was a temporary fix, but one that would at least make him feel better. For now.
Kimimaro's face gave a small frown as he slowly returned to consciousness, green eyes blinking sluggishly. He gave a soft grunt, pausing dramatically in the middle of a large inhale.
"Kimimaro," Jugo waved a hand across his eyes. "Can you see me?"
"Where… is it?" he asked, bringing a hand slowly over his chest. "Why…"
Jugo looked slightly hesitant before responding. "We're in Aoshingou. It's the civilian island close to the Kumo border. The shinobi helped heal you."
His eyes flickered to Sakura for the briefest second, confusion written in them. "Why would you help me…"
She shrugged, trying to fight off her sudden desire to cry. This poor boy who had been locked up all his life, only released to kill others— who had probably never received an ounce of kindness from anyone. No wonder he latched onto Orochimaru like he did. "I'm a medic-nin. I swore an oath to heal anyone who needs it, no matter who they are."
"I cannot be healed," he replied tonelessly. "Kabuto said it is incurable."
And Kabuto was very right to say that. Kimimaro's body was so incredibly different, the way it reacted to her healing was different, and she would need months and months and most likely years of studying to truly help the boy.
"I can't make promises to cure you, but I can make a promise to try," she said simply. "How are you breathing now?"
Kimimaro gave a hesitant, but deep breath, surprise and awe flashing through his eyes. "It feels… better."
"This is the first time I'm seeing an illness like yours," Sakura said. And a kekkei genkai like yours. "I did what I can for now, but getting you a cure is going to take some more time."
"...Really?" Jugo perked. "You would really try?"
She rolled her tongue against the inside of her cheeks as a sudden idea came into mind, and she stared at him hard. "I would like the two of you to promise me something in return though."
Jugo instantly deflated, eyes wide with anticipation. "I… we don't have much to give you."
She leaned forward, dropping her elbows onto the edge of the bed. "How long have you two been with Orochimaru?"
"It's been a little over three years," he said cautiously. "For both of us."
"Then for the next three years, I would like the two of you to live away from Orochimaru. That is my condition."
Kimimaro's eyes went wide with disbelief, for how could he ever forsake his master, but Jugo looked surprisingly contemplative.
"I will never leave Orochimaru's side," Kimimaro said instantly. "I will die for him if I must."
Already having expected such an answer, she turned to look at Jugo.
"I… " he hesitated, looking away.
"Kimimaro," she suddenly called, catching the boy's gaze. "You said your life's purpose was to serve Orochimaru, correct?"
He nodded firmly.
"How do you expect to serve him with an illness like yours?" she asked brutally. "Your condition will only get worse from here, and I suspect Orochimaru doesn't show favor to his sick-ridden shinobi. With every year that passes, you'll be unable to run missions, or even complete his biddings. You'll be constrained to bed, most like by Kabuto, and he'll be unable to help you at all. You'll have to live and die with the burden of knowing that you failed Orochimaru."
A dark shadow crossed his eyes, indicating that he too, had thought about his future. "Whatever life I have left then… I will use for him."
"Think about my offer. I'm fairly confident that I can cure you in three years time," she said slowly. Sakura was usually never one to lie to her patients, but this was a different circumstance entirely. "Instead of wasting away under Orochimaru for the next few years, wouldn't you rather try to heal yourself, then return to his service as a completely capable shinobi? He would even be able to use your body as a vessel then."
Her own words made Sakura sick, but that fact the they made Kimimaro slowly look understanding, made her feel even worse.
"Three years is all I ask," she finished. And hopefully, three years would be enough to change his mind.
"What will I do then?" Kimimaro muttered. "I am purposeless without Orochimaru."
Fighting the urge to smack the boy upside the head, she shook her head. "I would like the two of you to travel. Visit all around the Elemental Nations, take on odd jobs here and there to make money, eat food you've never seen before, meet people who look weird, learn some new skills, find a hobby, go flower picking— honestly, the world is at your hands… But I want you guys to live. And not in the survival sense, but in a human sense."
Silence met her declaration as they both stared at her, confusion written across their faces.
"Just… travel?" Jugo finally said. "That's it?"
"Anywhere in the world," she said, waving of her hand. "Anywhere— except with Orochimaru. Even if he approaches you, don't return to him, don't speak with him. Not for the next three years. And in return, I'll give you, Jugo, the permanent seal, and I'll heal you up properly, Kimimaro."
They were both pacifists by nature, and with a pang, she realized how similar the two were to Itachi— shinobi that excelled in their field but didn't actually enjoy the thrill, or the blood on their hands. Her offer seemed unreal.
"I want to go," Jugo said quietly, as if he made the biggest declaration in the world. "I… I've always wondered what it was like to live normally in a village with people."
Kimimaro gave no indication of an outburst at Jugo's words, but he didn't agree either. He turned his head to the side, eyes downcast. "I would like to think about it some more."
Immediately satisfied that he hadn't outright rejected her anymore, Sakura stood from her seat smiling behind her mask. "Very well."
…
One week.
It took an entire week for Kimimaro to give his answer, but even then, it was with great caution. Sakura stopped the urge to dance around in celebration, but instead, settled for a content sigh. He was leaving Orochimaru.
She had already prepared for the best possible scenario, and rummaged through her pack for what she needed.
"Here, take this. And keep it around your wrists."
With well honed reflexes, both Jugo and Kimimaro caught the thin strip of cloth she threw at them, looking at it with confusion.
"What is it?" Jugo inquired, staring at with narrowed eyes. There seemed to be nothing extraordinary about it at all.
"Think of it like a calling card," Sakura explained, already having made something similar for Gaara two years back. "I have a seal that's been imbedded in there that acts like a homing beacon. If you send chakra into it, it'll alert me and I'll be able to instantly appear before you."
Jugo's jaw dropped and Kimimaro didn't look like he believed her. "Anywhere? No matter where we are in the world?"
"Well, the greater the distance the more chakra it'll take," she said honestly, rubbing her neck. "But I've been doing this for a while now, so even if you're countries away, I'll be there within moments."
"When can we use this?" Kimimaro asked, eyes staring intently at the strip of cloth.
"When you need me," she said simply. "Jugo, the seal I gave you can still be tampered with if someone smart enough unbalances it with a different seal, or tries to disable it. If something goes wrong, you call me."
He nodded, hovering a hand over his diaphragm where she had placed the permanent seal.
"And Kimimaro, anytime your illness gets the best of you. I'll be checking in with you every other week, but incase something happens in between that time, make sure to let me know."
He gave a slow nod.
"Good. And if you two run into strong rogue shinobi, or god forbid, Orochimaru, please alert me."
A small smile tugged at Jugo's lips as he glanced at Kimimaro. "I think we'll be okay on that part. Kimimaro and I are strong. We can take care of ourselves."
"That's what all little boys say," she muttered.
Jugo went slightly red, looking thoroughly offended. "We're not little! We're already eleven years old."
Yeah, she thought with amusement, and I'm a twenty-nine year old woman trying to protect whatever's left of your innocence.
"And you're smaller than us," Jugo remarked with a hint of confidence.
"Don't think my size indicates my age," she remarked grumpily, repeating what she told Shisui a few months ago. "I assure you, I'm much older than I look."
There was a moment of silence as the atmosphere turned surprisingly light, and Sakura let a smile slip past her guard.
Maybe she could save a little bit of their innocence after all.
.
.
Kakashi could remember the first time he met Sakura with absolute clarity. It was his sixth consecutive year in Anbu, and he was taking missions back to back without rest, pushing his squad to their limits.
Just before his team was to depart to Suna, he had gone to say his farewells at the memorial when he spotted a familiar head of pink, kneeling before the stone and tracing her finger over the carved names.
Kakashi could recognize that hair anywhere. She was the girl who befriended Minato's son on the first day of the Academy last year. The two soon became inseparable, along with one of the Uchiha brats.
Haruno Sakura.
Sarutobi—as was the way of being a shinobi—had promptly been wary of the girl who so easily stole of the heart of the Kyuubi jinchuriki, and ordered him to execute a complete background check.
Her story was nothing special.
Her mother was a part time nurse at the Konoha hospital, and her father was a merchant from the traveling Haruno clan. According to Haruno Mebuki's long sections of absences in the hospital staff, the family would make business trips around the Elemental Nations quite often. A normal, and rather typical civilian family.
Personally, he had never spoken to the girl and decided to leave it that way. He would return to the Memorial once the mission was over.
As he turned to leave, Sakura gave a sudden flare of her chakra, snapping her head around towards his direction.
He wasn't masking his presence, but it was still beyond impressive considering the distance between them.
Feeling a sense of interest grip his chest, Kakashi approached, knowing the porcelain mask would keep his face hidden away.
Her jade eyes flickered to his mask, then to his silver hair before a large smile pulled at her lips.
"Hi!" she chirped, unnaturally happy against the somber backdrop of the Memorial.
After a beat of silence, he chose to reply, slightly curious about the girl who befriended Konoha's jinchuriki.
"Hey, kid."
She immediately made a face. "I'm not a kid! I'm six! Six!
She lifted up the correct number of chubby short fingers, indicating her age.
It was cute, he would admit. Nothing like he was when he was six— climbing the rank of Chunin as he stained his hands with the blood of his first kill.
"Yeah. That's a kid to me."
She pouted, crossing her arms. "You're a kid too."
"Says who?" He questioned, wondering how she even got to that conclusion.
"Says Sakura!" She jabbed a thumb at her chest. "You're a kid. Like me."
He crouched down, peering at her through the slits of his mask. "I'm a shinobi; I'm too old to be a kid. "
And too many lives were taken by his hands.
Her small palm smacked the left side of his Anbu chest plate, tapping the area with surprising strength.
"You're innocent too," she said strongly, eyes wide as she tried to look past his mask. "You're blameless. You're a Shinobi... but you're honorable. You're still a kid."
His body immediately tensed, her words hitting him like rocks against an unguarded wall. Obito's face flashed through his eyes. Rin, Minato, his father—how had she seen?
"Why?" He asked at last, unable to speak more beyond his shock.
No one had ever said those words to him.
"Because you're here in front of this Memorial," she said gently, eyes softening. "You've lost people and you come back because the guilt brings you here... Like it does for me."
Another flash of surprise ran through him. He knew it couldn't possibly be similar to his loss as a shinobi, but ultimately, death was death. He was younger than her when he first found his father's dead body in the doorway. With a pang of sorrow, he wondered who she had lost at such a young age. Her background check gave no indication to early loss, but it was more than possible the girl saw death while traveling to other countries.
"I'm sorry," he muttered quietly, not knowing what else to say.
A sudden smile took hold of her lips. "But you know, Shinobi-san, I'm not sad. Sometimes it's hard and I feel like I could have always done better, but I remember that those who left me behind, are people that I always carry with me. They made me a better person. I'm here because they loved me more than I could ever understand."
Kakashi felt speechless now. Every word she spoke felt like a knife in his heart.
"So you shouldn't be sad too!" She concluded, hands on her hips. She was on her feet, but they were still eye to eye with him in a low crouch. "I'm sure everyone is cheering you on. You should cheer on yourself too."
And for the first time in as long as he could remember, he received a hug. A genuine, full body embrace of care.
He had forgotten how warm people were.
Her hair tickled the side of his neck but Kakashi didn't have the heart to push her away. Somewhere inside, he needed this more than she could have ever understood.
With a sheepish giggle, she pulled back and ran her fingers through his silver locks, vocally admiring the funny color.
"I have Academy classes now, I have to go!" she pulled back, giving him a pat on the head like he was some child. "Bye bye, Shinobi-san! Let's meet again someday!"
With a wave of her hand, she ran towards the center of the village, three bento boxes wrapped delicately in her hands.
Kakashi watched her leave with awe.
It was a memory that no other soul knew, a memory he kept close to his heart, and a memory he never forgot.
.
.
It was dead in the night when Sakura felt her wrist burn.
She jumped awake, staring in horror at the wooden bracelet on her wrist— the receiver for the one she had made for Gaara.
No, no, no. It's been less than a year since she saw him. He was making good progress. She had left with the notion that his lonely childhood could be different this time around. Yet the charm would only react if Gaara's seal momentarily broke and Shukaku took over.
Bolting out of bed, Sakura threw on some appropriate clothing, not bothering to use her Anbu gear. If she was spotted with it in Suna grounds, war would break out. Instead, she settled for a simple henge, transforming into a passable Suna civilian.
Leaving behind a clone, Sakura concentrated on one of the many Hiraishin seals she left behind in Suna, and disappeared in a flash.
She landed in a dark alley far from the center of the village, but the feeling was unmistakable. Shukaku's raging chakra was pressing over the entire place, she could hear civilians and shinobi alike, running around in terror.
Masking her presence, she leaped onto the rooftops, getting her first glimpse of the Ichibi. The last time she had seen him, he was chasing her and Kakashi through Suna, eyes brimming with the Rinnegan's control.
Shaking away those thoughts, Sakura leapt soundlessly through the dark night, keeping her eye on the battle. Rasa had emerged from his tower, trying to subdue the beast with his gold dust.
When Sakura landed on a larger building closer to the chaos, she nearly gagged at the sight. What was once a body was now torn apart across the roof, blood and burnt organs spilling into a pool. She crouched down, knowing that it was proof of Yashamaru's last mission below her.
Hatred for the Fourth Kazekage burned in her chest as she glared at the battle, noting that the Ichibi was slowly being pushed back from the heavy weight of the gold.
Now was her only chance.
Just as Shukaku's form began to waver, disappearing into Gaara's seal, Rasa staggered in exhaustion, shouting orders to many of the Anbu around him.
Before they could approach the unconscious boy, Sakura called the tug of her Hiraishin seal on Gaara's wrist, appearing before him in a white flash. The Anbu stilled at her sudden presence, reaching for their weapons as murmurs of alarm rang between them.
"Who are you? This is no place for civilians!"
Ignoring them, she crouched down, gently pushing back Gaara's bangs. Tears threatened to rim her eyes as she saw the bloody remains of the kanji he seared into his own forehead. He was seven. Seven.
Yet history has repeated itself.
"Remove your hands, now," another Anbu ordered lowly. "And step away from the boy."
Her hand pulsed with green chakra as she placed it on his forehead, urging the injury to heal faster. She knew the scar would never fade though— tailed-beast chakra had that effect.
"You're going to regret this, Kazekage-sama," she muttered, knowing that the man could hear her. He had not moved his gaze away since she appeared. "You placed your village before the well-being of your son, and one day, that belief is going to come back and take your life."
It would be what he deserved after placing his trust in Orochimaru.
Rasa's eyes narrowed. "Capture her."
The Anbu bolted forward but they were slow from the battle, and Sakura had seen what she came for.
Giving one last look at Gaara's face, she closed her eyes and vanished from Suna, landing silently in her room. She dropped her henge and dispelled her clone, removing the shirt stained slightly with Gaara's blood.
Without warning the tears began to fall, and she buried her face in her pillow.
She would leave him to Naruto. He was the only true hope Gaara had left.
.
.
"Sakura-san, please go out with me! I'll protect you until the day I die!"
Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, Sakura smiled softly. Lee was standing on the other end of the training ground, chest puffed up in hope and cheeks reddened. Tenten was looking warily between the two of them, sighing into her hand. It had been a little over a month since she took down Neji in their brief fight, and Lee made this attempt at least once a week.
Only, it was the first time he found her alone— no Naruto or Sasuke to chase him away before she could speak.
She stood from her stretch, meeting his gaze steadily. Lee was the second in Gai's team to pass away, and he died doing exactly what he said he would— by protecting her. She had held him as his life quickly drained away, unable to ease his pain.
Yet he died with a smile on his face.
It was after his death that Sakura swore to herself never to give up. For whatever seemed impossible, she would make it possible.
"That's very flattering Lee-san, but I don't want you to die protecting me," she replied. Not this time.
"How youthful is your consideration, Sakura-san!" he proclaimed. "You are truly a young blossom that will sweep Konoha off its roots!"
"It is not your duty to protect me, Lee-san," she continued. "Your duty is to your team first and foremost— and to your personal growth as a shinobi."
"But you are also a valiant member of Konoha! One I will protect at all costs!"
"Lee, please just let it go," Tenten groaned from behind him. "You saw her take down Neji just last month! For you, who can't come close to defeating him— what makes you think Sakura-san even needs your protection?"
Lee's shoulders slumped in clear understanding, dropping his nice-guy pose. "You're right. It seems like I am unworthy of your love right now, Sakura-san."
Tenten smacked her forehead, muttering under her breath about how that wasn't what she meant at all.
"I will train harder to become a great shinobi then!" Lee roared, his spirit coming back to life. "A man who is surely worthy of your respect and can protect you until the end! Youth!"
With a final fist pump, Lee scrambled out of the training ground, proclaiming the many laps he was to run around the village.
Sakura watched him leave with exasperation, noticing that he had left Tenten behind. She glanced at the other girl, giving her a small smile. "Please make sure he doesn't over do it, Tenten-san. I have a feeling that he's that type of guy."
"Oh, you have no idea," Tenten muttered. "But I'm sure you experience some of that with your own two friends, Sakura-san?"
"Just Sakura is fine," she said easily, thinking about Naruto and Sasuke's antics. "And yes, I do know exactly what you're talking about."
"Then it's just Tenten for you as well," she gave a grin, putting her hands on her hips. "Lee's great admiration of you will tone down if you give him time. He was incredibly overwhelmed when Neji made a curt apology last month thanks to your deal— the Hyuuga never do that, after all."
Sakura let herself smile at the thought. "I hope I haven't hurt him too much."
"No, I think you wounded his pride far more than any physical injuries," Tenten giggled. "Ever since he got out of the Hospital, he seems to be considering what you said."
She perked at the news. "I would hope so."
"He has. Anyway, I do have to get going," Tenten sighed. "My team agreed to meet soon for our daily practice. It was nice talking to you, Sakura."
"You as well," she inclined her head. "And please tell Lee-san, that it's not him who is undeserving… but me, who is unworthy of him."
She gave her a quizzical look before nodding and turning on her heel, dashing off after her green-clad teammate. It was the start of a long and close friendship Sakura hadn't had in the past.
.
.
Sarutobi gave a weary sigh as he listened to the latest mission report, eyes never leaving the shinobi in front of him.
"Something must be going on in Kiri that we're not aware of," he mumbled, glancing through the paper again. It was the first time Kakashi had turned in such a thorough report, and he could understand why.
"Zabuza didn't reveal much at all," Kakashi said tightly, obviously bothered by the issue as well. "But I do believe the only thing that we can conclude is that the White Anbu had information regarding their Kage."
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Sarutobi gave a small nod in confirmation. "Very well then, Kakashi, you may go."
To his surprise, the masked-nin stayed rooted in his spot, looking rather solemn. "Hokage-sama… Naruto deserves to know. They all do."
He stilled, not having expected such a request. He knew exactly what the man was talking about.
"The Chunin Exams are coming up soon and you know Genin face life or death situations in that trial," he continued. "Would you rather have Naruto figure it out for himself in the middle of a battlefield, or be equipped with the knowledge?"
"He's still a boy," Sarutobi tried to argue, knowing his excuse sounded weak.
"He is my soldier, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied evenly. "Your soldier. He needs to understand where he comes from and why he was chosen."
"Minato wanted his son to be protected— "
"Protected, but not coddled," he shot back. "If not his lineage, then at least the beast inside him."
Sarutobi frowned deeply, staring at the unwavering man before him. "You feel every strongly about this, Kakashi."
"Yes."
"You wish for his teammates to know as well?" he asked in disbelief. "And if it shakes their tentative bonds?"
"It won't," Kakashi said confidently. "I've seen the way they interact as a team, and as friends. Hokage-sama even you saw a little bit of their friendship before they were placed under my tutelage. If it's those two, they'll give Naruto the support he needs."
Sarutobi gave a sharp exhale, rubbing his forehead. "Very well. Bring them in."
Without time for him to take the words back, Kakashi flashed out of the office, leaving nothing but leaves in his wake.
He turned in his chair, glancing out the window and wondered if Kakashi was right. It was time to stop coddling the boy and let him grow up to be the man Minato and Kushina had always wanted him to be.
Within the hour, his door burst open with a sharp cry of, "Jiji! We're here!"
Naruto ran into the room, energetic as always, his two teammates walking in after. Kakashi stepped in last, closing the door behind him.
"Did you get my mission report, Jiji?" Naruto asked hurriedly. "I made sure to write all the awesome details of what happened!"
He smiled. "Yes. I heard you got a bridge named after you."
Naruto went surprisingly red, blushing to his ears. "It was nothing, really. I— uh, was just wanted to prove to Inari that he shouldn't give up. Even if Gato was killed, everyone in the village was so depressing! I couldn't just let them be!"
Kakashi gave a pointed look at him from behind the group, and Sarutobi inwardly sighed. This was it.
"Listen Naruto, I asked you and your team to meet me here for a very special reason."
His eyes lit up in anticipation. "Really? What is it? A new mission?"
"A story," he replied, watching the boy visibly deflate. "A story from twelve years ago."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Haruno Sakura's eyes go slightly wide. Everyone but Naruto seemed suddenly aware of the tense atmosphere in the office.
"A story?" Naruto repeated blandly. "Well, okay…"
"Twelve years ago on a dark night, the Kyuubi attacked our village, destroying everything and everyone in its path. The only person who was capable of going against it was— "
"The Yondaime," Naruto interrupted with a face. "Everyone knows that story. He defeated the Kyuubi by sacrificing his own life."
Sarutobi grimaced, looking into the boy's eyes. "No, Naruto. He sealed the Kyuubi… he sealed the beast… into you."
There was a moment of silence as no one in the office moved.
"Huh?" Naruto grunted at last, eyes impossibly wide. "What… whadya mean, Jiji?"
"You have the Kyuubi sealed inside you. Tailed-beasts can't actually be killed because they are masses of chakra. They must be sealed inside a shinobi in order to contain them," he said slowly. "No one has ever told you because I made it a rule so that nobody spoke about it in the village, so I can protect you—"
"That's why," Naruto breathlessly interrupted, eyes downcast and dark. "That's why they all hate me… That's why they call me a freak, and a monster—"
"That isn't true, Naruto," he said sternly, unable to handle the boy's crushed expression. "Those people are simply afraid because the Kyuubi had caused many of their loved ones to die. They don't understand what really happened."
"But what if they're right, Jiji?" he whispered back, voice shaking. "What if I turn into the Kyuubi or something happens? And I really do hurt someone?"
"You won't," he assured. "The seal the Yondaime created is very powerful, and it'll keep the Kyuubi locked away. He won't be able to hurt anyone, and neither will you."
Sarutobi couldn't say the same for emotional peaks, because he knew if Naruto ever felt desperate enough, the Kyuubi could be called no matter how enforced the seal was.
Naruto rubbed his cheeks. "But in the end, I guess I'm still a freak."
Before Sarutobi could protest, another strong voice broke through.
"No!" Sakura yelled in defiance, her face puffed in a mixture of emotions. "You're not a monster, Naruto. Never. You're my friend. You're a treasured shinobi of Konoha. You're not what they say you are!"
Naruto's lips began to tremble as he looked back at his teammate. "S-Sakura-chan…"
"She's right," Sasuke crossed his arms, looking rather stern. "Just because the Kyuubi is sealed inside you doesn't make you any less Naruto."
"Sasuke…" Naruto swallowed thickly, eyes filled with threatening with more tears. "Y-You guys really mean it?"
"Of course, Naruto," Kakashi nodded, his one eye showing more emotion than Sarutobi had seen in years. Taking on the team had surely changed him as well. "You're a part of Team Seven now."
Naruto charged the closest person with a tear filled hug, and Sasuke caught the blonde with a grunt, unable to push him off like he would normally do. Smiling softly, Sakura took both boys into her arms, lifting them with her monstrous strength as she squeezed tightly.
For the first time in as long as he could remember, Sarutobi felt a sense of peace rest on his shoulders as he watched the scene.
Kakashi was right. These two would be the ones Naruto carried with him for the rest of his life.
.
.
The scorching heat of the midday sun tingled her skin as she breathed harshly, and Sakura likened her throat to the dryness of the Suna desert.
"Water," Kanae ordered, flicking his massive tail towards the river.
She dragged herself over to the edge, practically dumping her entire face into the river and greedily quenching her thirst. She lifted herself with a gasp of breath, still heaving.
Gracelessly flipping onto her back, Sakura stared at the clear skies, noting that not a single cloud was in sight.
Shikamaru would have been devastated.
Her eyes glanced around, taking in the land around her. Trees of brilliant green grew strongly even under the blistering heat of the sun, a thick river ran through the ground, leading to a magnificent temple near the top of the hill, and the dirt under her body always reflected a pure quality, almost like they were fractions of gold.
It was the home of her beloved lizard summons.
The land had been her constant refuge for many years, hiding her away from the rest of the world. It was the place she came to for serious training, knowing she wouldn't be interrupted or wrongly discovered.
It was her haven.
"Success or failure, Sakura?" Kanae asked, flicking out his forked tongue.
She gave a wide grin. "Success. It actually worked—took a huge amount of my chakra, but it worked."
He gave a pleased grumble. "As I would have expected. What is your difference now?"
Pushing herself to a more respectable sitting position, Sakura continued to grin happily. "My original Hiraishin seals had a landing diameter of a meter per mark. Even when I used more chakra, the seal kept me contained to a single meter. My new seal that contains the chakra webbing has an area of a kilometer. I can now transport myself anywhere within that range using the same seal mark."
"So you've overcome a great weakness," Kanae nodded in approval. "You no longer have to mark your opponent in battle to reach them, or even use multiple seals like the Yondaime—anything nearby will do."
"It's a huge improvement, but the sheer amount of chakra it takes is inconvenient," she admitted tiredly. "I would only be able to make five or six of these seals before getting exhausted of chakra. It's not practical at all."
"Then fix it," the giant lizard stated, dropping his heavy form into the sand.
Sakura gave him a smile. This was why she preferred to train with Kanae. He was incredibly no-nonsense and took no excuses from anyone, demanding the issues to be seen and dealt with.
He and Tsunade would have gotten along mightily well.
"Hai, Kanae-sama," she chirped, giving him a mock salute.
He gave a growl. "How long until your Chunin Exams?"
She blinked seriously at the change in topic, expression hardening.
"Three weeks at most," she said lowly. "From my nightly outlooks on Konoha, I can tell the border schedule has changed already, and less missions are being taken out of the village."
"And are your preparations coming along?"
"As much as I can," she nodded. "The only thing I can really do now is prepare for our conflict with Orochimaru."
Kanae narrowed his amber eyes at the name, the scarred side of his face scrunching harshly. "He will come without a doubt?"
"Jiraiya-sama said he would," Sakura replied in thought. "He defected from Akatsuki already, built Otogakure, attempted to take Itachi's body, and made his curse seals. Although, I'm not sure if they were ever perfected after Jugo and Kimimaro left."
"And what are those boys like now?" Kanae asked, surprisingly curious.
She grinned widely. "Well, they both turned fifteen this year, and had a jealous worthy growth spurt since I've seen them. They came by Konoha last year, and from what I can tell, their time away from Orochimaru really changed them. Even though the three years of our original agreement is up, neither went back to him. In fact, I think they're wandering somewhere in Suna at the moment— I have to check up with one of Jugo's birds this evening to find out."
"You're happy for them" he observed.
"Of course I am," she nodded. "They were children forced into blood at such a young age, caged into isolation, and kept away from society."
"That's much of the shinobi life, Sakura," he noted. "And a part of yours as well."
She shook her head, a sense of shame filling her chest. "No. You should have seen my childhood. I was spoiled beyond measure, didn't appreciate my parents, my friends, or my village. I was so self-centered that I was just blind to the rest of the world. I was a terrible shinobi, always useless, always in the way, it was no wonder I became such a burden. I wasn't ready for the reality of being a shinobi, and every day I think about children like Jugo and Kimimaro, it makes me realize how lucky and privileged I was."
"But you learned, and you grew, and you're making a valiant effort to change things," he said seriously. "That's all that matters now."
Sakura allowed a small smile to grace her face. "I hope you're right. I want to make a lot of differences this time around. I have so many people to repay."
Settling himself on his belly, he gave her an inquisitive stare. "Is your space seal perfected?"
"The one for Black Zetsu?"
"Hm."
She rubbed the back of her head in thought. "Theoretically yes. I've tested it on inanimate objects first, then small animals. Successful both ways. All subjects are placed into a pocket of space and locked there with my chakra. I really have to thank Obito for this."
"Seal Orochimaru with it," he ordered.
Sakura blinked in disbelief. "You can't be serious."
"I am," he snapped. "You can't expect to fight him head on in the middle of the Chunin Exams without getting discovered. He'll be underestimating you greatly, and once this chance is gone, who knows when it'll come again. If you can seal him now, a major piece can be taken out."
She thinned her lips, mind whirling with possible situations. "If I can, that is."
"I want your new Hiraishin seal perfected by then," he demanded strictly. "No unnecessary chakra drainage."
She snapped her head to him, mouth wide. "That's impossible and you know it! It took me seven years to master the Hiraishin and four more years to expand it like this. Perfecting this in three weeks—"
"You will do it," he said strongly. "You're no longer that weak hatchling from back then—you swore on your contract with us that you would do anything to achieve your ends, never giving up."
She closed her mouth with a snap, feeling her face burn. "I did."
"Do not forget yourself, Sakura," he said firmly. "You are strong. You are our destined one, the Shinobi that every summon in this land would lower their life for—you are the eagle born amidst a village of chicks, it's time you take your wings and make use of them!"
Swallowing back her sense of self-pity, she gave a firm nod. "You're right. It's time I fly out, isn't it?"
A satisfied smirk tugged the corner of his mouth. "It's about damn time, Sakura."
.
.
Sakura narrowed her eyes dangerously, watching the two boys fidget, looking anywhere but into her eyes. She was dressed in casual clothes with a large apron wrapped around her body, and a sizzling spatula in her hand.
"What day is it today?" she asked lowly.
Naruto gulped. "Um… the first?"
"And what happens on the first day of every month?" Sakura inquired.
"Team Seven dinner at Sakura-chan's house," Naruto mumbled, still not looking at her.
"So do tell," she raised an eyebrow. "Where's Kakashi-sensei?"
Immediately, both boys burst into excuses.
"Naruto let him get away!" Sasuke jabbed a finger at said blonde. "He—"
"I did not, teme! He had you distracted first, while talking about your great and mighty aniki!"
"Don't insult my nii-san, dobe! You were the one who was supposed to hold him down!"
"It was supposed to be teamwork—"
"Yeah, cause we made a plan, and you forgot about it!"
"I was improvising! Sensei's too fast to get caught in that dumb idea of yours—"
"Naruto," Sakura interrupted, drawing out his name while lifting her spatula in a sign of silence. "Sasuke."
Both boys swallowed nervously.
"So, for the fourth month in a row, you guys let Kakashi-sensei get away from Team Seven dinner."
"He doesn't want to, Sakura," Sasuke muttered. "I don't know why you're so pressed on getting him to come over."
She fought the urge to smack him in the head, settling for a sigh instead. "When you two think of Kakashi-sensei, who in association do you think of?"
"Us?" Naruto answered with uncertainty.
She shook her head. "Apart from us. You remember me reading about his past right? Who's left of the Hatake family? Who's left of his original team with the Yondaime? Who does Kakashi go to after a long day of missions?"
Understanding dawned through their eyes. Sasuke could grasp the basic concept of having no one, but he still had his clan. He was never alone. Naruto on the other hand, understood completely.
"He has no one," Naruto murmured.
"He's lost a lot of people in his life," Sakura said softly, memories swirling in her head. "It's not a matter that he doesn't want to come, he just doesn't know how. I'm willing to bet it's been a long time since he's had close people in his life everyday. We're his family now, don't you agree?"
Silence settled in the kitchen as Naruto and Sasuke looked solemn. Sakura slipped off her apron, tossed the spatula into the sink, and looked towards the boys with a raised eyebrow. "Well then, shall we go find him?"
With renewed vigor, the three genin burst outside, running along the rooftops for any sight of their sensei. It was nearing sunset, and Sakura knew they had little time before night fell.
"We lost him near the Hokage Mountain," Sasuke supplied.
"Okay," she breathed, stretching her shoulders. "Naruto, you check the shopping district as well as the bars. Sasuke, get the main roads and central buildings. I'll snoop around the training grounds. Utilize clones when you spot him— we're going to bring him in together, as a team."
They gave her a firm nod before bolting in opposite directions, leaving Sakura to change gears and head towards the closest training area.
She flew through the air, flashing through every training ground she came across, keeping her senses keen. There was hardly anyone in the outskirts of Konoha during this time, it was easy to feel a chakra signature and dismiss them from the man she was searching for.
The longer Sakura ran around for, the more she was sure of where she could find him. There was only one place Kakashi went in times of solitude.
Taking a shortcut to Training Ground Three, she leapt over the trees, pumping chakra into her legs to quicken her pace. Within minutes, she landed silently on the grounds, immediately picking up Kakashi's signature. With a quick hand sign, two clones popped into existence, then bolted off, each running tell Naruto and Sasuke of her discovery.
Rising to her feet, Sakura made her way towards the Memorial Stone, eyes boring into Kakashi's back.
"Are you here to mourn the dead, Sakura?" he asked, not bothering to turn around and face her.
She stopped a respectable distance away, smiling. "No. I'm here to celebrate the living."
"Hmm. I don't think you've come to the right place then."
"I'm exactly where I need to be, Kakashi-sensei," she answered evenly. She felt her clones dispel as their memories returned to her, and she knew that both boys were on their way. "You're still alive, aren't you? I'm sure those who've been engraved in that stone would want you to live happily too."
He gave a small chuckle. "You know, I met a little girl here once, and she said the same thing to me too."
Sakura fought back a smile, knowing that Kakashi had expected her to forget their first meeting at the Memorial Stone. Besides, she wasn't supposed to recognize his Anbu mask or his hair.
"Well she isn't wrong," Sakura shrugged. "You have family now. And we'll always be here for you."
"Sensei!" Naruto's voice boomed through the training ground as he landed roughly onto the dirt, skidding to a stop. Sasuke came running in a moment after. "We found you! And you're not gonna get away this time!"
Kakashi finally turned around, facing his three students with a one-eyed stare. "Well, if it isn't my cute little genin team. You guys grow up so fast."
"Cut it out, sensei," Sasuke frowned. "We're here to make things straight."
"Why so?" he asked innocently. "I didn't know we had such a thing."
"Until you yield, we won't be giving up," Sakura announced. "And when you do, we'll have a team dinner together."
Kakashi's eye sharpened, glancing at the three of them. "Make me yield? I'm not sure you three are prepared for such a thing."
In a way, he was right. Sakura was still dressed in her casual clothes, and so were Naruto and Sasuke. None of them had prepared for this. All their additional weapons were left at home.
"Screw shinobi gear!" Naruto yelled. "We'll make you yield for sure!"
Without warning, Naruto charged, and Sakura didn't hesitate to run after him. Surprise flickered through Kakashi's one eye before he braced himself in a stance.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Six more Narutos exploded into being, leaping at Kakashi with a battle cry. Sasuke jumped in, engaging in the mass taijutsu battle.
Coating her fingertips with chakra, Sakura joined the fray, trying to get one small tap on the Jounin'sbody. If she could get even one jab, she could disable whatever limb was closest. Kakashi eyed her hand carefully as he danced around the other two, popping out clones with incredible speed.
"Maa," Kakashi grunted, blocking a high kick from Sasuke. "You guys are serious, aren't you?"
"Family is always serious!" Naruto yelled back, throwing a punch that Kakashi smoothly dodged.
Sakura smashed her foot into the ground, concentrating her chakra to contain the destruction as much as possible. The earth groaned, splitting open under her foot, and Kakashi lost his balance just in time for Sasuke to make a comeback. He jumped forward with renewed speed, fist flying— but Kakashi's leg was longer. He slammed Sasuke straight in the stomach, sending him flying across the training ground.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, turning his head.
"Don't let yourself be distracted, Naruto," Kakashi warned, grabbing the orange collar of his jacket and throwing him into the trees.
Sakura came in from behind, picking up her speed in order to match him one-on-one. They danced around each other's moves, and she swerved around his longer reach, already used to fighting without her old body.
It was if they were sparring like old times, and Sakura briefly saw a different version of Kakashi before her, his hair long and messy, mask long forgotten, and two black eyes staring straight at her.
She stared right back, a smile tugging at her lips. "We're not a team without you, sensei."
That seemed to jolt something within him, as his fist hesitated for a fraction. Kakashi grunted in surprise as she jumped forward, forcing her body around his fist and throwing her legs over his shoulder in a tight lock. Naruto shouted with renewed vigor as he returned, clutching Kakashi's torso from the front in an effort to keep their sensei still.
Taking the final opportunity, Sasuke threw himself against the back of Kakashi's knees, sending all four of them tumbling into the dirt.
There were cries and and shouts of alarm as they landed in a mess of limbs on the floor, yet somehow, still holding on to Kakashi.
"We won't let go!" Naruto cried stubbornly, undoubtedly being crushed under all their weights.
"Yield, sensei," Sasuke demanded.
"We're not going anywhere," she finished, staring at Kakashi in the eye.
At last, the man seemed to relax under their grips, releasing a year-long sigh. "Maa… I've got such a stubborn team, don't I."
"And we've got an equally stubborn sensei," Naruto glared.
After another long moment, Kakashi hummed. "Very well, I yield."
Cheers and shouts of triumph rang through Training Ground Three, all three students too occupied to see Kakashi's visible eye glistening against the light of the sunset.
And Sakura, without a doubt, had one of the best dinners in memory— past and present.
.
.
Sasuke sensed the redhead before he saw him. His chakra was thick and oppressing, almost as if it had a mind of its own, wanting to suffocate all those in its path. The feeling was unmistakable.
Killing intent.
Naruto was glaring at the other two sand shinobi, Konohamaru partially hiding behind his back. Sakura was nowhere in sight, and he briefly remembered that she had left for the Nara compound after the mission.
Sasuke glanced at the newcomer with narrowed eyes, taking in his fiery red hair and pale skin. A large gourd hung around his back, but the most striking point of his appearance was his face. Dark lines surrounded his eyes as if he hadn't slept in years, and a red scar tinted the side of his forehead.
Love.
"Kankuro. Stop it," the redhead ordered, voice unnaturally low and cold. "You're being an embarrassment to our village."
The shinobi with face paint paled dramatically, and the blonde girl next to him did the same.
"Gaara…" the one named Kankuro muttered, looking ready to bolt.
Gaara? The name struck a chord in his mind, and Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, wondering if he recognized the name too.
Where had he heard it?
"Losing control of yourself in a fight… Pathetic," Gaara retorted. "Did you forget why we came to Konoha in the first place?"
"Listen," Kankuro stammered out, raising his hands. "They started it. I was only—"
"Shut up," Gaara commanded, looking downright murderous. "I'll kill you."
"All right, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Sasuke jumped down from the tree as Gaara did the same, reappearing in a swirl of sand.
"Sasuke, you show off," Naruto pouted, giving him a sideways glare. "I had it all under control."
"Control?" He repeated, raising a brow. "Naruto, you and the word control don't even go together."
"What was that, teme?" He protested, eye twitching. "It's not like you're any better! Sakura-chan can totally beat you!"
He was right, of course. Sasuke glared back at the jab, feeling his competitive spirit arise, and the foreign shinobi in front of him momentarily forgotten.
"I wasn't talking about chakra control, but now that we're on the subject, do I need to remind you that it was me who finished the tree and water walking exercise first?"
Naruto grumbled. "Well I have way more chakra than you! And both Kaka-sensei and Sakura-chan said my stamina outlasts yours!"
Before Sasuke could get in his reply, a burst of sand came from ahead and he reacted just in time, leaping out of the way with Naruto. Konohamaru let out a scream in alarm, landing on his rear. Turning to see where the attack had come from, all sense of banter out of his head, he narrowed his eyes at the redhead.
"You two," Gaara said suddenly, eyes intensely focused. "Are you speaking of Haruno Sakura?"
Sakura.
The name finally clicked.
"His name is Gaara!" She revealed excitedly. "He has really pretty red hair and can control sand. He's really nice! I think you three would get along well!"
No wonder he hadn't remembered right away. The first and last time Sasuke heard Gaara's name was over six years ago.
He looked back at the redhead in a new light, wondering what happened to him since their meeting. 'Nice' and 'get along well' would not describe their current predicament.
"What of it?" Naruto bellowed, obviously having forgotten all about Sakura's 'friend' in Suna. "She's our teammate. How the hell do you know Sakura-chan?"
Gaara's face went cold, and his eyes seemed to harden. "Tell her she was wrong. There is nothing but hate and betrayal in this world, and without a doubt, I'll prove it to her the next time we meet in battle."
Sasuke stiffened at the clear threat to his teammate and best friend, chest tightening with anger.
"You'll have to get through Naruto and I," he said fiercely. "Just try— you won't get away with it."
Something in his green eyes seemed to snap. "Then I'll kill you too."
The tension between them skyrocketed with his reply, and Sasuke clenched his hand into a first, ready to move when necessary. Naruto crouched slightly, preparing to fight.
"Gaara," the blonde girl muttered, looking afraid for her life. "O-Our permit for the Chunin Exams said no fighting. You'll get yourself disqualified—"
"I know." His deadly aura loosened by a fraction as he turned to look at the girl. "They're not the ones I want to fight anyway. Let's go."
Naruto growled at the implication, but before he could get a word in, the three flashed out of the road.
"That bastard!" Naruto yelled into the empty street. "How dare he threaten Sakura-chan with some crazy message? What the hell was that supposed to mean anyway?"
"Dobe, don't you remember?" Sasuke asked seriously, still feeling tense. "That's the friend Sakura was talking about all those years ago. Gaara."
Naruto scrunched his face in thought. "Um, no?"
Sighing, he smacked the blonde upside the head and began walking down the street.
"Ow! Teme! Where are you going? We have to warn Sakura-chan about this!"
"We'll tell her later," he shouted back, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Sensei wanted us to meet at the bridge tomorrow anyway."
Grumbling, Naruto followed after, muttering about all the silly little redheads he was going to defeat.
Ignoring his teammate, Sasuke walked through the streets in deep thought.
There is nothing but hate and betrayal in this world.
Without the need for hesitation, he inwardly disagreed. There was so much more to life, and that was one thing he was absolutely sure of.
It was treasuring the bonds of life.
.
.
After a relaxing evening spent with Shikamaru, Sakura sat in the confines of her room, meditating on the upcoming exams.
If there was one thing Jiraiya had told her about Orochimaru, it was that his desire to crush Konoha was stronger than anything else. There was something to be proven, especially if he could kill the Hokage in the process and destroy the village that had ostracized him as a shinobi.
Yet, Sasuke still hadn't awakened his Sharingan—both a good and a bad thing. She wanted him to be as ready as possible for the upcoming exam and invasion, but she also wanted him to awaken his bloodline with love, not hate, just like Itachi and Shisui had done. Their Sharingan both appeared with a strong desire to protect, and that's what Sasuke needed.
Frowning in thought, she considered everything that needed to be done during the invasion. She absolutely could not allow Sasuke to get marked. Even if it meant restraining the Uchiha herself and fighting Orochimaru head on, she would do it. Ultimately, their fight in the forest had to be quick— she needed to catch him by surprise and seal him away into limbo for eternity.
She knew Naruto and Sasuke could handle Gaara perfectly fine without her, so it left her an area of freedom to track Kabuto down after the exam was cut short. Tsunade would eventually return to Konoha for Lee's surgery, revamp the entire medic-nin structure and take the leading mantle for Hokage while Sarutobi quietly resigned once more.
At least, Sakura could hope.
There were too many variables that were still missing from her plan—too many pieces that she didn't have knowledge of.
Again, she could only trust in her instincts to take her there.
A white falcon flew in the sky outside of her window, and Sakura opened her eyes to peek at the message. Being under Tsunade's tutelage for so long meant that she understood every coded message within Konoha.
The Jōnin's were assembling, meaning; the exams were only a week away.
Giving a soft exhale to release the tension in her muscles, Sakura rose to her feet. Kakashi had asked to meet them on the bridge, and she knew he was going to nominate them for the exams.
She glanced at her clock, realizing that she had five minutes until the meeting time. Now that she, Naruto and Sasuke were pulling prank after prank on the man every time he was late, Kakashi made a shocking habit of actually being somewhat on time.
Jumping out her window, Sakura made her way down to the familiar bridge, spotting Naruto and Sasuke already there.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned waving. "You've got to hear this! Teme and I met the weirdest people yesterday after our mission!"
"Oh?" she lifted an eyebrow, landing softly on the bridge. "Who was it this time?"
"Shinobi from Suna," Sasuke answered. "Did you know about the Chūnin Exams?"
"I did notice a sudden influx of shinobi," she nodded. "So what're they like?"
Both boys looked at each other, a silent message between them.
"We met him," Sasuke answered. "Your friend from Suna. The redhead with a gourd around his back."
Naruto mumbled under his breath about still not remembering him, while sakura stiffened ever so slightly. "He's changed hasn't he?"
"He threatened you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto growled. "He said— said… wait, what exactly did he say?"
Sasuke sighed as he bonked Naruto in the head with a fist. "He said that you were wrong. That there's nothing but hate and betrayal in this world, and he'll prove it to you when you meet him in battle."
She wasn't surprised. If all went according to plan, Sakura had no intention of meeting him in battle. She already had her own with him. It was time for Naruto and Sasuke to get through him.
She sighed, rubbing her forehead in thought.
"What's wrong with him, Sakura-chan? You're not really going to meet are you? He's crazy! He's so… ugh…"
"When I met Gaara, he was going through a very rough childhood," she explained, knowing that she could trust these two completely. "The entire village ostracized him for being a monster and a murderer because he couldn't control his power— power that wasn't his own but was sealed into him by force."
Naruto went still, blue eyes wide. He could understand that feeling perfectly. "What are you saying?"
She pursed her lips. "It's just a theory, but I believe that Gaara has a tailed beast sealed inside him too. He told me that sometimes he could hear a voice in his head, urging him to kill and forget the humans around him. To forget his village. I don't think his seal was done very well. I tried to befriend him and tell him how great the world was when you had someone to protect, to treasure… but something went wrong since then, and I'm sure he threw away everything that I've told him."
Naruto visibly wilted, eyes downcast. "He's like me then."
She leaned forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. "It's only a theory, but it's something I think we should keep in mind when dealing with him. I'm sure somewhere inside, he's also longing for acknowledgement of his own."
Both boys gave her a slow, but firm nod.
"Maa, what are you guys whispering about so early in the morning?" Kakashi appeared perched on the rail, chin propped in his palm. Three papers were held in his other hand.
The tense atmosphere broke immediately.
"It's almost noon," Sakura deadpanned, dropping her hands to her sides.
"Is it?" Kakashi asked with fake astonishment. "What a surprise."
"Cut the crap, sensei! Why'd you want us to meet here?" Naruto demanded, noticing the papers in his hand. "Are those—"
"Yep!" he said, eye crinkling. "I've nominated you three for the Chunin Exams next week."
Naruto cheered, tackling the Jōnin in a bear hug. He snatched his application from Kakashi's hand and began whispering under his breath of all the stupid shinobi he was going to defeat.
"Anyway, as I was saying," Kakashi dusted himself off, handing the last two applications out. "This is only a nomination. Whether to take the exam is up to each of you. If you do want to take it, then sign the papers and turn it into room 301 by tomorrow."
Sakura smirked. "We're taking it, sensei. We'll enter as a team and win as a team."
"Yeah! Sakura-chan's right! We'll defeat the strong guys together!" Naruto acclaimed.
Sasuke nodded.
"Heh," Kakashi smiled, ruffling each of their heads. "As I thought. I'll see you three tomorrow then."
With that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.