A/N: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Team Sakura and Anki stared at the two men prepared to kill them. Sakura was lying on the ground, still in pain after a kunai struck her leg. However, her concern was how the supposed leader, Mizuki, managed to escape from prison eight years ago without the ability to use jutsu. She hadn't heard about this, even from Tsunade, when she returned from exile.

Deciding she would worry about that detail later, Sakura looked over to Natsumi, who stared at Mizuki with a look of anger and hatred. She thought, "Natsumi just met him and she's like this? Why would…wait! She must've remembered him from Naruto's past. Was it another vision?"

"Damn you!" Natsumi yelled. "Why would you want Anki in the first place?"

"The bigger question is why are you protecting her?" Hebiuso said. "She has Uchiha blood running in her veins, so she deserves to die!"

"Uchiha blood? But she wasn't born an Uchiha, was she?" Natsumi asked.

"Na…Natsumi!" Sakura said, causing her daughter to go to her side. Once out of earshot from Hinajin, Sakura whispered to her, "I'll tell you everything later. For now, defeat those two with Hinajin's help."

"…okay, Mom. I'll do it."

Natsumi walked over to Hinajin and asked, "You ready to kick some butt, Hinajin?"

"Ye…Yes! I'm ready! Shingi, it's time to rumble!"

"Now we're talkin'!" the dog said as he transformed into a copy of Hinajin while Hinajin assumed a more animalistic look. "Been a while since we cut loose like this, Hinajin. Hope ya haven't gotten rusty."

Hebiuso drew a sword as he said, "So you're of the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans? Don't think that'll give you an advantage against me!"

Hinajin and Shingi ignored his statement as they began to rush Hebiuso with Fang Passing Fang. Hebiuso, however, jumped into the air, weaved signs and thought, "Bringer-of-Darkness Jutsu!"

All at once, Hinajin and Shingi found themselves surrounded by pitch-black on all sides. Shingi sniffed the air and told Hinajin, "Hey, this is Genjutsu, ain't it?"

"Yeah, I thought so, too," Hinajin replied before bringing his hands together and thinking, "Release!" Shingi did the same as the genjutsu dissolved around them. They barely had a chance to breath when a sword came flying at their heads. Hinajin and Shingi backed away from Hebiuso, now attacking them with skillful swordplay.

"This ain't lookin' good," Shingi replied as he dodged another swing from Hebiuso's sword.

"Shingi, why don't you go back? I can take care of things here," Hinajin said as he parried a sword attack.

"Ya sure, Hinajin?"

"I'm sure; just go!"

As soon as Shingi disappeared in a puff of smoke, Hinajin activated his Byakugan and tried to attack Hebiuso with the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist. However, Hebiuso used his sword to force Hinajin back. When he was within reach, Mizuki took the opportunity to land a swift blow to the base of Hinajin's neck, knocking him out.

"Hinajin!" Natsumi cried as she tried to get to him.

"Stay right there," Hebiuso said as he lowered his sword to Hinajin's head, "unless you want to make sure we finish him off."

Natsumi growled in anger, while Anki watched the whole scene with a scared expression on her face. "Why…" she asked herself. "Why is this happening? I've done nothing wrong! And why am I being called an Uchiha all of a sudden?"

Mizuki directed his gaze to Anki and laughed. "There's nothing to be afraid of now. Just walk on over here and give me your eyes, then I'll let these people go."

Anki gripped her head in fear and thought, "What should I do? What should I do? I can't let these people have what they want, but I don't want my mom's friends to get hurt. What do I do?"

"What the hell do you need someone else's eyes for, anyway?" Natsumi angrily yelled.

Mizuki grinned as he replied, "Not that you'd understand, but I'll be able to use chakra again if I get the Sharingan eyes of an Uchiha. I won't be back to how I was, but it'll be enough to cast a Genjutsu powerful enough to get the entirety of Konohagakure. Everyone will be trapped in an illusion of the "perfect world" they've dreamed about while all hell breaks loose in reality! It's the perfect revenge for how they've treated me!"

"…you think too small." Hebiuso's voice calmly replied as his sword ran through Mizuki's head. "Why settle for a small portion of the world when you can have it all?" He ended his last sentence by cutting Mizuki's head clear off his body.

Natsumi, Anki and Sakura watched horrified as Mizuki's dead body slumped to the ground as Hebiuso drew nearer to Anki. "Now with him and that idiot Konki out of the way, I can have the Sharingan all to myself. I've earned it after four years of idly watching the pampered bitch who was wasting it."

"So you're responsible for breaking Mizuki out of jail in the first place?" Sakura asked.

"That's right. I needed his help to translate a scroll I had found. I thought it contained some secret jutsu Konoha didn't want revealed to the rest of the world, and I didn't trust my own comrades at Kumogakure. Mizuki was a skilled translator before he was thrown away in prison, so he was my best option."

(Eight Years Ago)

"Done."

"Well, Mizuki, what does it say?"

"It's a medical report on how Kakashi was affected by the Sharingan being implanted in his eye. It's incredible!"

"Surely it isn't that impressive. Granted, being able to copy the attacks of others can be useful, but—"

"It isn't just that. According to this report, his chakra reserves increased tenfold and his chakra network improved greatly. He was able to use chakra at a more advanced level than any other. The Sharingan…if I got a hold of it, my own chakra network might be restored and I can be a better shinobi than any in Konoha!"

"It'd probably be easy to take over, too, considering Tsunade isn't in her prime and Naruto—"

"That damn brat is six feet under, so he wouldn't be able to stop me!"

(Present day)

Hebiuso continued his explanation as he walked toward Anki. "After I was told what the scroll contained, I wanted the Sharingan to myself. Seeing Mizuki formulate his revenge against Konoha, I decided to play the role of lap dog to hide my true intent. I even paired myself with that idiot Konki, who had just been declared a missing-nin by Iwagakure for having killed his team in a blind rage."

"How'd you find out about Anki having the Sharingan?" Natsumi asked.

"I was laying low in a town the troupe was performing in five years ago. I was about to leave when I noticed the girl alone, clutching her head in pain. When she opened her eyes, they were red and looked like an undeveloped Sharingan. Only an Uchiha could have eyes as perfectly red as those. I knew then that I needed to have those eyes and use them to conquer the shinobi world. I told Mizuki of this and asked if I could infiltrate the troupe and look for a chance to take the girl away without giving away my identity. After four long years, the journey through Sword's Edge Pass provided the perfect opportunity for me to make my move."

He then looked over the headless corpse of Mizuki and said, "I had no intention of helping that dumbass overthrow Konoha. He couldn't even see that I was using him the whole time. But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I can now have the Sharingan all to myself. It's wasted on someone who isn't even a shinobi, especially a pitiful girl such as yourself, Anki!"

Finally, Hebiuso prepared to pluck Anki's eyes out, grinning madly at the thought of finally possessing the Sharingan. However, at the last minute, Anki disappeared in a puff of smoke. As Hebiuso doubled back, he saw Natsumi and Sakura do the same.

"Damn! Shadow Clones! That means—" Hebiuso turned around and saw Natsumi and Sakura, now with a bandage around her leg, protecting Anki and Hinajin. Natsumi ran forward and tried to attack with an array of kunai. Hebiuso, however, knocked each one away with his sword and ran through Natsumi. However, she turned out to be another Shadow Clone, as she disappeared while ten more surrounded him.

As Hebiuso continued to fight off wave after wave of Shadow Clones, Natsumi (the real one) walked over to Anki and asked, "Hey, I know this is kinda sudden, but do you know any jutsu at all?"

Nervously, Anki replied, "…yes, I do. When I was seven, I taught myself how to use the Fireball Jutsu. I practiced in private because my mother had a certain...aversion toward shinobi and the five great villages."

Natsumi grinned and said, "Great! Now listen carefully. When I give the signal, I want you to—"

Natsumi whispered her strategy to Anki just as Hebiuso shouted, "Enough of these games!" He then spun himself in a circle, sword facing outward, to create a gust of wind so powerful it knocked out all of Natsumi's remaining Shadow Clones.

He then turned to the group and prepared another strike, but saw Natsumi running toward him with a glowing blue ball in her hand. "So now it's the Rasengan? You're just full of surprises, aren't you? Well, no matter. You're dead, bitch, no matter what attack you throw my way."

As he prepared to parry the Rasengan, Hebiuso noticed the orb getting a greenish tint to it. "What? She's combining the Rasengan with another jutsu? …No! She's adding wind chakra to it. I better finish this quickly!" Hebiuso readied his sword for an attack, this time boasting, "Consider yourself lucky. No one has ever been able to survive this attack!"

"I doubt you'll be able to attack at all!" Natsumi yelled as she hurled the Rasengan at Hebiuso. After she quickly got out of the area, she yelled, "Anki, now!"

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Anki thought as she exhaled a great amount of fire at the Rasengan. Without any time to evade, Hebiuso soon found himself engulfed in a roaring pillar of flames.

Sakura and Anki stared at Natsumi, amazed that she had thought of the strategy so quickly. Sakura took Natsumi aside and asked, "How did you know what to do?"

Natsumi grinned and said, "Naruto told me!"

"Naruto? What are you—"

"I had another vision. Kakashi-sensei was telling him about chakra natures and how the five elements complimented each other. I then remembered how he got control of his wind chakra."

Sakura stood amazed at her daughter, grinning like what she had done was no big deal. "Her visions are giving her access to knowledge that would normally be over her head at this stage. It's nice that she can understand it all, but I definitely need to consult Tsunade-sensei about this," Sakura thought.

"But how did you know I'd be able to use the Fireball Jutsu?" Anki asked.

Natsumi grinned wider and said, "Honestly, that was just a lucky guess. Good thing I was right, huh?"

After Sakura and Anki face-faulted at Natsumi's last remark, they noticed Hinajin slowly get to his feet. "Ugh, what happened?"

Natsumi immediately ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay, Hinajin! You had me worried!"

Hinajin blushed a deep crimson before Sakura pried Natsumi off of him and said, "Easy, Natsumi. I don't want him going unconscious again so soon."

Before the group could talk further, a faint cough was heard. Looking over at the crater, they saw Hebiuso, badly burned and barely alive, crawling out of it. "Tha…that was a surprising…tactic you used. I…I heard rumors, but I…I didn't think it'd be possible. Could you be…are you the reincarnation of Naruto Uzumaki?"

Natsumi walked over and said, "While that is true, I don't being referred to as "Naruto's incarnate." My name is Natsumi Haruno!" She then watched as Hebiuso dropped his head and drew his last breath.

(Three hours later; at the caravan)

Karin was going over what Shikako had her carpenters build for their wagons for four hours. Intrigued she asked, "Explain to me what exactly you've done, again."

Shikako shrugged and said, "Well, the extra-fortified walls on the wagons will help repel blunt and even bladed weapons, especially when you're circled up like this. Also, I added some hidden traps on the roof to ward off potential aerial assaults and some cannons that shoot spikes at their targets for long-range defense to the tops of the wagons. Hopefully, this'll help you fight back and/or discourage any bandits that try to attack."

"I'm impressed," Karin said, making a mental note to hire more people to manage these latest additions.

As Karin was about to turn in for the night, she caught a group of people walking toward the caravan. Her eyes swelled up with tears when she noticed Sakura's team arriving back with her daughter.

"Anki! I'm so glad you're safe!" Karin cried as she ran to hold Anki in a tight hug. Anki hugged her mother back and cried, "Mom! I was so scared! I don't ever want to go through that again!"

"Shh. It's okay, dear, it's okay. Mommy's here for you." Karin, still holding Anki, looked up at Sakura and her team and said, "Thank you so much! I don't know what I would've done without you here!"

Natsumi smiled and said, "It's no problem, really. Just a part of the job."

(Two days later; at the caravan's destination)

Shikako walked over and, handing Karin a piece of paper, said, "Now remember that the weapons I've installed in the wagons of your caravan need constant maintenance in order to do their job properly."

Karin accepted the paper and said, "Don't worry. We've got enough money to hire some people who will handle it." She then looked at Sakura and said, "Maybe sometime I'll come and visit you all in Konoha. We can put on a play just for you."

Sakura smiled and said, "I'd like that, and I'm sure Natsumi would like to see Anki again."

The two looked over to their daughters as Anki walked over to Natsumi and said, "I hope you have more awesome adventures, Natsumi!"

Natsumi grinned and said, "You know, you could come with us, back to Konohagakure. I'm sure you can be an incredible shinobi."

Anki got nervous and said, "I…I don't think I'd be able to handle it, after all. This past experience has gotten me, well—"

Natsumi put her hand on Anki's shoulder and said, "I understand. Just remember that no matter what, you've got a friend in me, and you can count on me to help you out with anything. Okay?"

Anki took Natsumi's hand in a handshake and said, "Deal."

Sakura looked at the sight and cried. She was finally able to see Naruto and Sasuke get along as friends without them trying to kill each other. The sight almost made her wish she could take Anki with them.

Not wanting to let her emotions take over, Sakura quickly bowed to Karin and said, "It was nice to see you again, but we have to get going. Natsumi, Hinajin, Shikako, time to go home!"

Team Sakura started walking down the path leading toward Konohagakure as Karin and Anki silently waved them off.

(Three days later; in the woods)

Sakura and Natsumi sat together around the campfire while Hinajin and Shikako slept until their shifts for guard duty came up. Natsumi was just told by Sakura about Anki and her past life as Sasuke Uchiha. Natsumi looked at her mother with a worried look and asked, "Are you sure it's a good idea to leave Anki's past out of the report?"

Sakura looked as Natsumi and said, "I understand your worries. However, I've been told that Anki hasn't done anything that would hint she'd become another Sasuke. Besides, she was finally able to have a childhood with a loving family and now a good friend. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Natsumi leaned on Sakura, feeling tired from the mission. Sakura simply held Natsumi close and rested her head on Natsumi's.

Before she had the chance to fall asleep, Sakura heard Natsumi barely whisper, "Sasuke…I'm glad you've finally got a happy life."

Those words made Sakura's eyes shoot open wide as she looked down at her daughter, now in a blissful sleep, one she'd never had before. Sakura felt a drop of sweat roll down her face as she thought, "What was that just now? That couldn't have been Natsumi talking! Wa…Was that you…Naruto?"