I guess it doesn't matter anyway

I don't care about nothing but you

I guess it doesn't matter anyway

'Cause I don't care about nothing

And I had it maxed out

I had a feeling

Nothing is working

And everything's bleeding

"Kids" PUP

It's coming.

Sakura stared at several crumpled pieces of parchment that she laid out in front of her. Now that Sasuke was gone on a mission, she was trying to piece together the broken communication he and Hinata had over the years.

"It's coming" was the second to the last note sent, with the last one dated only two weeks after, reading "It is here. I am sacrificing myself to give time for Ayana to escape to you. Please be ready." Hinata then referred back to her original notice she gave Sasuke of where to meet Ayana and the password. It felt eerie, as though Hinata was reaching through time sixteen years in the future, sending a message about what she could see. Heart wrenching. She couldn't imagine holding and protecting Sarada, a sweet, tiny, helpless newborn, while simultaneously knowing she would most likely die, leaving her daughter alone in the world. The whole situation was unimaginable.

But she then noticed another reference strung throughout random updates on Ayana and inquiries about the state of the village: a prophecy. Wait...

"Orochimaru," she whispered, her eyes widening at her new realization.

Between notes that buoyed between worry about Ayana growing up with hate in her heart after her mother inevitably passes away and confidence that she made the right decision by starting a new village, Hinata always referenced a prophecy discovered by one of Orochimaru's pawns. Her letters would swing from being scared it was going to come true, to a few months later feeling safe and nestled in her new life, now with a daughter, the prophecy not going to come true in the slightest.

That's it. That was the real reason Hinata went to Sasuke. It wasn't only because he'd understand the crippling internal burn of losing her only family… it was because he would know about the prophecy, and his proximity to the source might give some sort of knowledge to stave it off. But obviously what knowledge he did have was of no help because Ayana was here and Hinata was dead.

Again, please don't disclose to Naruto.

Sakura's heart pounded at the memory of a memory. She had heard whispers of this prophecy from ages ago… and she knew why Naruto couldn't know. The only reason she even knew was because she walked in on Sasuke and Kakashi whispering about it. They said he would have ushered it in immediately, and with the village already littered from war, they couldn't handle more conflict; then it quickly folded away in the back of her mind because, as they said seventeen years ago, it wouldn't come true. But now… was it coming true? Should Naruto know that-

SLAM. The front door banging shut brought Sakura back to her senses and her ears picked up on a low guttural sound. She immediately recognized it the full cough and sputtering in the front hall- blood. Someone was choking on blood.

She ran to the foyer to find Ayana on her hands and knees, blood dripping from her lips.

"Oh my God!"

She immediately bent down to pick her up but Ayana shooed her away weakly. "No, it's okay… I'm okay…"

"What happened?!"

Ayana shakily stood. "It was just...an extra rough...training session." She wiped the blood from her lips, yet her eyes sparkled. "But it was good."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Did Naruto do this to you?" she asked. "How hard did he work you? You look…" She tried to find the words to say as she looked her up and down.

Sakura watched her for a moment, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Though he was Ayana's sensei now and obvious mentor, she saw an issue with...this. Yes, she should be prepared, and he wanted to prepare her for life here but...it was clear he maybe was too tough on her.

"I think I just need sleep…" Sakura watched as she limped past and frowned, realizing Ayana's ankle was bruised and swollen again. She needed to go talk to someone, but who? She had some options. Kakashi? Tsunade? Sasuke was gone. Who would know what to do? Watching the girl limp slowly up the stairs, she knew Tsunade would be the best option. Not only would she know what to do about this situation in general, she'd also know more about this prophecy.

"Ayana...I need to look at your ankle again…" Sakura offered. Second time in one day. Great.

Ayana looked back at her and trudged on. "Later."

Sakura bit her lip and watched her go, and she decided to go speak to Tsunade before she did anything else.

Ayana's POV

I limped up the stairs, knowing I was ultimately okay; I probably looked worse than I felt. Sakura's eyes burned on my back and I know she was worried, but I also needed alone time to process what had just happened. My mind screamed at me to not even think of it but...I thought that might have been the best training session I had ever had.

After Naruto had walked out of my hospital room, I waited a few minutes before chasing after him. He had just called me Ana. There was no way he knew that was my mother's nickname, but regardless it squeezed my heart in a way that made me so uncomfortable- it scraped at my heart, sandpaper to open wound, and I felt exposed again.

My legs carried after him, catching up to him just outside the hospital doors. "Hey!" I yelled. "What was that?!"

He continued to walk away from me, not bothering to even turn around to tell me to go away. He just ignored my presence and floated quickly across the campus.

"HEY!" Why was he ignoring me? How dare he? I reached up to grab his shoulder, hearing my mother scolding me in my ear, but before I could shoo my mother's voice from my head he reached around and grabbed my wrist, turning on me as he did.

"Can't you tell when people don't want to talk?" he growled. "For someone who acts like she knows everything you really can't pick up on easy queues."

I reeled backwards, honestly surprised by his response. "Aren't we still supposed to train today?"

He flung my arm off him but didn't walk away. "It's difficult to talk to someone who doesn't want to listen," he replied.

"Look, all I was saying back there was that this is my fight," I sputtered. "This is between me and my mother's killers. I know you say my mother wanted me here...for some reason...but it's not that easy. I can't just let someone else who doesn't know her as well as I do take over!" I could feel my heart rate start to rise just wanting him to see where I was coming from. "I can't just sit back while her killers are out there! You just don't understand! You're here telling me that I don't know 'my life', yet I'm here ready for any knowledge, trying to be here like she wanted, and you haven't said anything! I am wasting my time! "

Naruto's eyes met mine silently, probing me, an unreadable expression on face as though looking for something he couldn't find no matter how hard he tried. "No," he finally responded. "As much as I appreciate a good underdog story, and I like that you feel so confident with wanting to go out there to fight this, this is way out of your hands. You need to trust me and understand that it's not all about you and your struggles. You don't know what's out there."

"Then train me!"

"I AM TRYING!" His fist hit the wall next to us and I watched a large crack materialize up the brick, small pieces of debris crumbling off. My eyes widened at his strength; it didn't look like he used any force, barely touching it.

"How long are you going to be stuck in your head, Ayana, us always the enemy?" he cried. "How can you progress if you're too busy mouthing off, thinking only about yourself? Without trust and someone to back you, you're only so powerful. You can't do this alone. People build you up- you need me right now."

"Need?!" We stood staring into each other's eyes for a moment, two pairs of blue eyes flashing, both seething. "You think I need you?! Is that the biggest reason I'm forced to stay- because you somehow think that just because my mother was from here that I need you?!"

"Then you fight me! Prove to me that you can do this since you believe you can do this without any help!"

Instantly I faltered. Fight the Hokage? Really fight him? By now we had moved closer, two magnets revolving around each other, but I still didn't feel like I could overpower him. Yet the invitation was here, so how could I say no?

"Byakugan!" I yelled, feeling a little out of place. We were still in front of the hospital, out in the open for everyone to see. "Eight trigrams sixty-four palms!"

I immediately gave it my all, knowing that it would probably hurt me in the long run going all in so fast. He clearly was faster. He burst into an orange glow and repelled, a blue ball in his hand. And then? Well. I'm not sure. I believe I blacked out because when I opened my eyes again, I was lying across the campus, staring up into the sky. I could feel hot blood trickling down my nose.

I tried to sit up, placing my arms behind me and pushed up, forcing what strength I had left- he had drained me, whatever move that was. My legs ran forward, not even feeling the ground, and I reached my arm out again but he caught it in his grip.

"I can't tell you anything if you continue to think you just have this on your own because you don't!" he hissed. "I can't just tell you things and watch you leave this village." I forced myself forward but he threw me back, my body bouncing against the ground a second time.

Again. My body kept pouncing at the pounding, addicted to the rush I felt at a worthy opponent, someone going just as hard against me as I was him. It was the outlet I needed, more pent up rage oozing from my body. Even though I knew he was stronger, I couldn't stop putting myself in the line of danger; even though I knew the outcome of me throwing myself at him, I didn't want to stop.

Then I felt it. The final blow. He hit me harder than he ever had, sending me backwards, the wind knocked out of my ribcage. My head hit the pavement and this time I didn't have the strength to go back at him.

The clouds moved listlessly above me, impervious to the fight that was happening below and Naruto's face suddenly loomed in the corner of my vision. He was gripping his shoulder, but he held his arm out for me to take.

"You have the anger," he announced. "You have the anger needed to fuel your strength. I just need you to stop for a second and just consider what I said: You aren't the only one who ever knew your mother; you aren't the only one who has ever had troubles. You aren't the only one who misses her! And you definitely don't have a monopoly on pain over her! And if you continue to think you are the only one in the world who can handle this when you don't have a clue, you will die."

He kept saying that- It's not all about you. Listen. Trust me. But I couldn't get over having to trust someone I didn't know, people whom I heard were the enemies my whole life. How could I trust that he was going to do what was right and avenge my mother's death? To find the people who were responsible? This was personal to me… wasn't I the only one who had the drive to do this? But wasn't it possible that he was right that I could die if I didn't take help?

I continued to stare at him, at his hand that was outstretched to help me physically and symbolically, an olive branch. Do I take it? Or do I just hobble home on my own?