Disclaimer: I hate making people wait…I hope that doesn't make me too much like Sasori.

Chapter 36: How Things Change

The weeks had gone by; many things had happened and changed…and yet many things had stayed the same. Sakura was still the 'guest' of the Akatsuki, and was never allowed anywhere without someone to 'guard' her. She had learned her way around pretty well thanks to all the 'exploring' she did with her cousins as well as some helpful dreams…but there was still one place that eluded her, the door that haunted her dreams.

She had tried to memorize the path so many times, and at times she thought she had had it…but when she tried it out, she'd always ended up somewhere else. Of course she had only tried three times, but that was because she had to be careful who was her 'guard(s)' when she went looking for the door. Her instincts told her that Itachi and Konan wouldn't want her to find the door, and she had been able to figure out that Tobi was under orders to not take her near it (he wasn't a very good liar). That left her with only two people.

One was her new Akatsuki friend, Ayaka, who often helped her find out things that the Akatsuki weren't telling her (such as that her dream about Konoha being so beat up was sadly true and that they hadn't even sent one squad out to search for her, not because they didn't care for her, but because they were too low on ninja). She did so not only because they were friends, but also as payment for trying to help unravel her past. Sakura had found that after she had saved Deidara's life down in that dungeon…or maybe it had really started when she'd fought against Deidara in the first place…but around that time, the restrictions on her Hoshi Kekkei Genkai had lessened greatly, though not completely.

Deidara was her other choice for door hunting with. It had really surprised her when she had seen him for the first time after she'd found him in the cell and healed him. The first thing that shocked her was that he was hurt again, but that was nothing compared to the shock she got when he called her Lady Sakura. He had been beet red, and his voice had held some anger and sarcasm, but at the same time…well, she wouldn't say he was completely sincere about it, but he did seem to mean it…something about owing her his life…he had mumbled, so she hadn't quite caught it all.

Sakura was still teaching her students about healing, and in return, her cousins taught her about the Hoshi culture, Kekkei Genkai, and the Ancient language (though it was mostly Noya doing the language teaching, since the twins had only the basics of the language down themselves). Many nights she would keep studying in the library long after her cousins had gone to bed, unable to escape the feeling that there was something she had to find, something lost, or maybe just overlooked. It was on a night like that that Sakura had come up with a test for Tobi to see if her theory about his healing ability was correct.

The next day she had asked Deidara to help her with her experiment, and when he found out his part to play, he happily agreed…Tobi on the other hand was scared to agree to the experiment until Sakura promised to block his nerve endings so that he wouldn't feel anything. She was planning on having Deidara break Tobi's arm while she was concentrating on it with her Chakra, so that she could see what happened…why Tobi's body healed so quickly without him even knowing how it happened. It took three trials for Sakura to be sure.

Sakura was already concentrating on the bone even before it began to break. Then it had snapped, thanks to Deidara, and Sakura focused on what Tobi's body did. The first time they had tried this, it had happened too quickly for her to catch what happened, and the second time she hadn't been completely sure that she'd really seen what she'd thought she'd seen, it'd happened so fast…but third time's the charm.

Sakura watched, amazed, as the bone almost instantly began to pull itself back together. Within a matter of moments it was completely healed, showing no sign of having been broken or having been healed. Sakura pulled her Chakra out of Tobi and turned her attention to the thoughts that were flying around her head a mile a minute. She was brought out of her thoughts when Deidara asked her if she needed him to break Tobi's arm again (he seemed to find it fun).

"No," She heard Tobi sigh in relief, "that was enough…I think I've figured it out." Sakura paused a moment more and arranged her jumbled thoughts before she continued, "When I had tested Tobi's healing abilities, I had noticed that he was having a hard time. That it had almost been like he was fighting, or was in disagreement with himself, over how the healing should be done. Now I know why…my hypothesis was correct."

Ayaka, who had been watching silently the whole time from a nearby boulder, spoke for the first time since she'd arrived, "Will you now tell us what that hypothesis was, Lady Haruno?"

Sakura sighed and said more to herself than to Ayaka, "I wish you wouldn't call me that." After a moment's pause, she continued, speaking to everyone this time, "Anyways, first let me tell you what's been happening with Tobi. Normally when people are healed with Chakra, what happens is that the Chakra speeds up that person's healing process. All it does is make what would normally take months to heal instead take only hours to heal. It's not a miracle; the Chakra merely acts as a catalyst in the healing process. But that's not what happens when Tobi's hurt."

Sakura paused a moment to choose her words, "What I just saw happen in Tobi was completely different. His Chakra didn't speed up the healing process at all. Instead it…undid…the damage. He didn't fix what was broken; he made it so that it was never broken. I don't know how better to explain it than that. But that's why he's been having such a hard time trying to heal others. He's been fighting between the urge to heal and the urge to undo. He-"

Deidara interrupted her, "We get it Lady Sakura…but what's the big deal, Yeah? Just tell us your theory already, Yeah." In the silence that followed, Sakura felt all threes' eyes staring at her intently, waiting for her answer.

"Very well, I believe, no I'm sure, that the reason's in his blood." Sakura noticed everyone's confusion, so she explained, "I was reading a book I'd accidentally stumbled upon in the library, and it mentioned a clan that was believed to have been eradicated about twenty to thirty years ago. Though the book was very vague, I believed that it eluded to this clan having a Kekkei Genkai that allowed them to heal wounds that, for any other medic, would be a lost cause…and that their own wounds would heal of their own accord without the person doing anything. Obviously I thought of Tobi."

Tobi and Ayaka had both been very happy about what Sakura had deduced, but Deidara didn't really care. He'd said it didn't matter and that Tobi was probably just too stupid to heal correctly. But Tobi had begun to show him otherwise. After they'd figured out what Tobi's 'problem' was, Sakura had begun to work around it and help Tobi heal properly. He was really progressing quickly now, as was Noya, who seemed to be a natural at healing. But they both still had a long way to go. The twins had an even farther way to go, seeing as they both still struggled with the basics, but they were learning.

On another of their trips outside, Junko had appeared again. When the twins told her that they had done the first ceremony to make Sakura the Pillar, Junko just laughed. She then explained that it was unnecessary since Sakura was the only Time Walker currently alive. It was only necessary when you had to choose between multiple Time Walkers. But when the twins asked about the second ceremony, Junko's attitude did a one-eighty.

"Don't you dare even think about it!" Junko yelled at the twins who cowered in fear, "I didn't give my life for my daughter so that she could have that curse put upon her!" Her hand rose to strike them, and Sakura's hand shot out, grabbing Junko's wrist.

Sakura growled angrily, "What do you think you're doing? They merely asked a question! It's nothing to flip out about!" Junko opened her mouth, but Sakura cut her off, "I don't care if the answer was something bad. It's not like we would have known. Why would we have asked something that we already knew. Instead of yelling at them and trying to hit them you should have explained why to them!" It had taken all her strength not to add 'what kind of mother are you?'…she didn't want to know the answer.

Junko simmered down, sighed, then said, "I'm sorry, my little Sakura, I just couldn't bear the thought of…" She trailed off, hugging Sakura as if it had been Sakura she'd threatened rather than the twins. Sakura cleared her throat and Junko released her.

Junko leaned back as she began, "I guess I should explain. The second 'ceremony' is more of a curse. It's what binds the Pillar to the clan alone, taking away their freedom. It makes them a prisoner to their own clan…I won't allow another Hoshi to have to go through that. That's why I sent you with your father to Konoha. I knew if you stayed with the Hoshi's, the elders would decide to curse you the moment you returned from your awakening. You would have only been eight!"

Hanako's small voice asked fearfully, "But aren't the ceremonies required for Time Walkers to become the Pillar? What will happen if you suddenly stop doing what's always been done?"

Junko glared at Hanako, but answered anyways, "As I said, the first ceremony is only needed when there is more than one Time Walker who could become the Pillar. As far as I know, it's always been so. But the curse hasn't always existed. It was created sometime in the past, back around the time when the World Walker came and went from the Hoshi clan for the second time.

"This information had been left out of the stories from back then, but I Saw it…that's how I found out. The elders at that time wanted the current Pillar to remain the Pillar, but the Pillar wanted to step down and pass on the power and responsibility to someone else so that they could journey elsewhere. So the elders created the curse, to force their Pillar to remain. I never did, however, find out if that Pillar was the first to have the curse put on them, or if they escaped and their heir became the first, but that was the birth of the curse…and I plan for this to be the death of the curse. It is to end with me."

It hadn't been too much longer before Junko released Noya. It was only later that Sakura had remembered that she'd forgotten to ask Junko about her father. However, she did think to ask her cousins later that same day about this World Walker she'd heard them talk about. It had been Noya who'd answered.

"The World Walker could be considered a fifth type of Walker, but there's only ever been one in all our history, and it was so long ago that a lot of information about him has been…diluted…or forgotten. You see, back when the World Walker was around, stories were still passed along verbally, and weren't written down, so many details no longer exist.

"For instance, we don't know when exactly the World Walker was around, only that it was a very long time ago…back when the Ancient language wasn't ancient. We don't even know whether the World Walker was a guy or girl let alone what his (well, we have to call him something, it'd be rude to call him 'it') name was; but that may have more to do with the fact that the World Walker, at least according to the stories, was young and probably from another time.

"Probably he was from some time after the Ancient language became our second language rather than our first, but also far enough back that it was still taught to very young children, since he had a good grasp of the language, even for being so young. And before you ask, no, we don't know how old he was. I've heard anywhere from seven to thirteen. But anyways, It's said that he wrote down his name, but in such a way that it could be read many different ways…that's a big problem with the Ancient language, everything can be read multiple ways…so even back then they weren't ever completely sure what his name was.

"There are many stories concerning the World Walker, and many different variations of those stories. However, there are some things that all stories agree on. One was that the World Walker was a child when he first appeared. How he first appeared is debated. Most people believe that he was also a Time Walker, and had appeared by Walking through time, but some believe he had always been in that time, but had been living outside the village until he awoke as the World Walker. No one can be sure though.

"Second is that he had the strongest Kekkei Genkai ever seen among the Hoshi. There aren't any exact details, but it's said that the World Walker, as his name suggests, was able to Walk between worlds as well as time. But once again people disagree as to what the definition of 'world' was meant to be when he said he was a World Walker."

Noya paused, then apologized, "I'm sorry, but it's hard to give a straight answer as to who the World Walker was since there are no written histories from back them…at least, not that I know of."

That was only one of the many things about the Hoshi culture that Sakura learned, but it interested her greatly, though she couldn't give a reason why. Often she found herself asking her cousins to tell her stories of the World Walker during breaks in their medic training in the library. It was funny how many contradictions two versions of the same story could have.

Once she had finished teaching her students (and them teaching her), she would send her cousins to bed, and then she and Tobi would often work on his Kekkei Genkai's way of healing or he would go somewhere else (he never did tell her where) and she would research one thing or another late into the night. That was the most common outline of her days lately. There really hadn't been much variation, that is, until today.

Sakura had just sent her cousins to bed and was about to open a large, obviously old book she'd just found, when Tobi approached her almost shyly. Sakura held onto the book and raised an eyebrow. Tobi looked around, anywhere but at Sakura, as he asked timidly, almost as if he were afraid she'd get angry at him or something, "L-Lady Sakura…do you think…could you…is Tobi…" He paused, took a breath, then finished quickly while staring at his feet, "Can Tobi learn how to heal infections?"

Sakura set the book down on a nearby table, put a hand on his shoulder, and answered kindly, "You're not ready yet. Please be patient. These things take time." Tobi nodded solemnly, obviously downtrodden, but didn't say anything. Sakura let go of his shoulder and went to pick back up the book, making sure her back was to him to make him more comfortable as she asked, "Is there any particular reason why you wanted to learn how to do that?"

Tobi spoke dejectedly, "Yes, Tobi-" Suddenly Tobi yelped, "Ahhh, Tobi forgot agaaaaain!" Sakura swirled around just in time to see Tobi slam the library door open and run out, past Deidara (Itachi had been gone for a few days now). Sakura didn't stop to think, she ran past a bewildered Deidara and after Tobi. The first thing she noticed was that Tobi ran up the stairway that they had never taken again after the first day she'd gone to the library with Tobi.

Tobi led Sakura on a wild goose chase, running apparently in no particular fashion through the maze of halls. Suddenly he turned a corner sharply, leaving Sakura's sight. Sakura turned the corner just as she thought she heard the sound of a door closing. When she looked down the door-filled hallway, she didn't see Tobi. In that moment Sakura felt an odd sense of assurance that she had finally found the right corridor, the one that the door that haunted her dreams should be in.

Her eyes sought out and found the door she was sure was the right door…but then her eyes slid away from the door and for some reason she now felt that that wasn't the right door. Sakura looked to another door, an odd sensation coursing through her. She felt that none of these were the right doors…she had no reason to be here…but what about Tobi? Where was he? Shouldn't she find him?…no, she wouldn't find anything here…she should go…

Sakura turned around as she heard Deidara running down the hallways she'd just turned off of, calling for her. He slowed to a walk just before he entered her line of sight, breathing hard from his run. Sakura waved and called his name as he looked down the hallway she was in, but it was as if he didn't hear or see her. He continued walking, but now he was complaining to himself about how angry Yuri would be with him for having lost her.

Sakura looked back at the door she thought was the right one, but she felt a great sense of unimportance as she looked at it. She turned back around and began walking back the way she'd come, planning to catch up to Deidara. Right before she turned out of her hallway, however, an odd buzz of thoughts in the back of her head made her look back once more, giving her the feeling that she shouldn't be leaving yet. But as she looked back, the doors all blended together, indistinguishable from each other, and the sensation that had made her look back made one last effort, then disappeared.

Sakura shrugged and ran after Deidara, calling out to him. He jumped, and spun around, yelling, "Where'd you come from, Yeah?"

Sakura turned around to point to the hallway she'd just come from, about to tell him he'd walked right past her, but the hallway was gone. There was only a wall where the hallway had been…as Sakura stared at the wall, however, she felt like she should ignore it…it wasn't important…it…

…Sakura tore her eyes away from the wall, pushing back the feeling that she shouldn't care about what had just happened. Instead concentrating on the drone in the back of her head that was telling her that she should think on it later…and that she should get out of here before she lost her train of thought…and that it was, indeed, important.

Without explaining to Deidara, she said, "Please take me to my room…I'm lost." She clenched her hands, and only then remembered that she was still holding onto the book from the library. Sakura shook her head as she followed Deidara…she'd think about it all later.

Sakura stared up at the ceiling while lying on her bed, pondering what had happened. Sleep tugged at her abnormally overtired body. 'I don't know what all happened back there…I'm sure it was the right door…but…' Sakura tried to picture the door and the hall she'd been in just an hour ago, but she couldn't bring up the picture in her memory no matter how hard she tried. When that failed, she instead pictured the wall and her conversation, or lack there of, with Deidara.

'He never saw me…even though I saw him look right at me, he didn't see or hear me until I entered the same hallway as him…and then that hallway disappeared and I didn't care…why? Wait…maybe the hall didn't disappear…maybe it was the wall that appeared. Is it some kind of Genjutsu or barrier? But how then did I get past it the first time when I was following Tobi, but not after I'd gone back out to Deidara? Did it have something to do with Tobi…maybe that's why Tobi was ordered not to take me that way…maybe his presence can open the path…'

Sleep began to weigh down Sakura as she thought, 'No wonder I could never find it before…but how am I going to find it again? Tobi won't take me there, that much is obvious…'

Well, Sakura finally found the door again, but she lost it just as quickly as she found it. Now, what's behind that door? Why was Tobi allowed to get past the barrier? And…is Sakura ever going to actually see what's behind that door? (I'm evil, aren't I? Once again, it's a rhetorical question.)

This chapter was a small time skip (in case you couldn't tell). I did this so that I could speed things up for those who want me to do so while also giving you important information. I hope you liked it.

Also, I've been so busy lately, I've had no time to write at all. Just a couple of things I've had to work on are a presentation, a 6 pg paper on the death camps, and a 5-10 pg paper on insomnia. I've been trying to find time, but as it it, I've been going to school on SATURDAY in order to work on all these projects I have, so time is hard to find. This means that if I can't write another chapter before my next update date, I won't be able to give you a new chapter, sorry. I'll work hard to try to find time to type, I already know what's going to happen next, I just need to write it.

Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome as are people going to my forum, but flamers should beware…I have duct tape!

Thanks to: Quiet Moon, krazykoreangurl, hevava, XxPinkCherryBlossoms4, Cute-Killer-Gurl, xokatherine229, Spirit Seer (He just wasn't shown. And yes, they were one of the ones who went with the Akatsuki that day), akatsuki's hikari, Theblackroseofkonoha, Animeprincess514, aznkitty180, sakura-angel113, Hao'sAnjul, SasukeSakuraxXXxItachiSakura, The Squabbit, .assassinator, Grace Antares Whitlock-Hale, Fallen to Earth, SnowWolfSpirit (read back through the scene where Sakura goes and speaks to the third again), NightWing101, moonbeam28, saphire4, MelodicLilacs, SpeedDemon315, Tsuka Chan, Tsukiyome, Silent Sinner Abella, & sasusakuluvers4ever for reviewing!