Warning Contains: spoilers, language, suggestive themes
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Dearest Readers,
You'd think that after writing thirty-seven of these things it would get easier. But in all honesty, I never quite know what to write in this section. Hopefully it doesn't come across as clumsy and awkward as I think it does!
But enough about my general weirdness, you all what to get in the nitty gritty of this week's update. After this chapter there are exactly two more left. Or at least that it how many I have planned for now. But this is quickly winding down.
This chapter ties many loose ends and should hopefully answer the majority of your questions. I'm also hoping that it gives you more pieces of the puzzle to the intricacy of this fic.
I hope you like what I have in store for this week. As always, it has been a real pleasure to present my work for your critique. So read, review, and enjoy.
Until next time!
~L.H.
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Dynamic Future
Flashback.
She contemplated his question.
It was really out of the ordinary. She had never even considered it before. Being a shinobi was her dream career. She had begged, fought, and cried for this opportunity. Her mother and she had not spoken for weeks after Sakura and her father's decision to enroll in the academy. She had set her sights on being a ninja from a very young age. From the moment that she had first officially seen him up close. It was the day they first met, as far as she was concerned.
It was not clear to her back then but he was the reason she fought to be where she was at. This was her dream. She was living it. But he had not asked her what her ideal career was, probably because the question would be a waste of time to ask. He had asked her something more meaningful and soul searching. He had asked about her dream.
He had asked her what she would be if she was not a shinobi. Sakura knitted her brow together. She could feel the eyes of her nineteen year old companion. But unlike the first time she had laid eyes on him, his gaze no longer unnerved her. It had essentially become a fixture in her life. It was an odd day in which Naruto did not study her.
He had already told her what he would be. He wanted to be a chief, a restaurant owner. At first it had made no sense to her. But the more she thought about it the more intuitive it seemed. Naruto wanted to change lives. He wanted to make people happier and food was an excellent medium to do that. Ichiraku's had changed his life. They were the first people to welcome him, to treat him like a human being. And for that he remained loyal to them for all these years.
He wanted to be a restaurant owner. He wanted to give people a better product. He wanted to give them joy. He wanted to forge relationships similar to that of what he had with his favorite ramen stand. She had no doubt that he would be an amazing owner. If he were not a shinobi, he would be an incredible chief. And who knows, maybe their paths might have crossed in a much different way? Maybe they could have gotten off to the right start.
He was starting to get impatient with her. She could practically feel the energy that he was emitting. Her eyes scanned the vast blue sky. The pale blue relaxed her. It allowed her brain to think more clearly. She could push aside all the horrors that were constantly going around them, even if it were only for a moment. "A mom," she answered in a firm voice. "If I was not a shinobi, then I would be a mom."
She heard a sharp inhale of breath so she titled her head and pinned him with an imploring look. From the wideness of his eyes and slackness of his jaw she had surprised him. It was a celebratory moment really. She had managed to render Konoha's number one knuckleheaded ninja completely and utterly speechless. Sakura lips quirked ever so slightly in a ghost of a grin. She flicked his nose. It seemed to do the trick. He blinked a few times owlishly before bringing his hands to rest up behind his head. The grin on his face seemed a little strained to her but maybe it was just the lighting.
"That's not a real answer, Sakura-chan." He chuckled at the arch of her brows. His eyes twinkled with something she could not name. "I mean you can still be a shinobi and a mom." His shoulders were the picture of ease and relaxation. But she knew him to well to fall for it. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was a real pity that she could not lighten the load for him. But she had long come to accept that some people where just born more capable than others. That some people were destined for greatness, and he was one of those.
She rolled her eyes at his statement. "Naruto, that's a fools dream. Look at Kurenai, Naruto. She had to give up her career once her baby was born. It's the same way for Shikamaru's mother, Hinata's mother, and Sasuke's mother. Once a kunochi gets married it's expected of her to give up her career for motherhood. You can't have it all." Sakura brought her knees to her chest
He was watching her again but this time she could tell more closely. Her skin prickled under his intense scrutiny. But what she said was truly how she felt. In her life there were two kinds of women. The first category consisted of strong, well respected, fear-inducing women like Tsunade, Shizune, and the fifth Mizukage, Mei. Those women were all incredible kunoichi but they were not much else. They had little to non existant love lives. They were all single and incredibly lonely.
The other types of women were the mothers, wives, support systems of her village. They were the mothers of her friends. Tsume was the only one that continued her kunochi career after having children but even she had to wait until Kiba was in the academy to go back. She was the exception not the rule. She knew first hand from helping Kurenai, that it was an uphill battle to raise a child and still stay in peak shape. It was time consuming and if one did not have the proper support system it was next to impossible to both be a mom and a kunoichi.
And she did not merely want to be average. She did not want her skills as a shinobi to suffer but she also did not want to be a bad mother. So she had decided long ago that kids would not be for her in this lifetime. Maybe if things were different she could be a mother but she did not see that happening for her any time soon. Many called her Tsunade's legacy so it was only appropriate that she follow down the road of her master's lifestyle.
Being a medic required one to constantly learn, study, and research new healing techniques. Growing her knowledge was her biggest responsibility as a medical ninja. But being a mother would put all of that aside. It was unrealistic to think that she would have time to balance both work and such a demanding career with a small child. And even if she returned back to work once her kid was old enough to be in the academy, she would be hopelessly behind.
It was sad but she had already picked her path. She was a shinobi. She did not have it in her to be anything less or more. But really, the hospital and all its patients were like her kids anyways. They constantly demanded her attention and left her both physically and mentally exhausted. It was probably the closest that she would come to knowing what motherhood felt like.
"Maybe," she shot him a questioning gaze. He was leaning back on his palms. The grass blades peaked through the gaps of his fingers. His eyes were taking in the cloudless heavens. "Maybe some people can't have it all. But that shouldn't stop you from trying."
She tried to see through his bright smile. But it was purely genuine. He meant every word and because of that her heart rate accelerated. "When you're with the right guy, you'll change your mind. I think you'd make a great mom, Sakura-chan." He turned to look at her. His eyes held a note of graveness that she could not explain. It unsettled her.
She adverted her gaze from his. She could not handle the unmatched honesty in his irises. So maybe nothing had changed. Maybe she could still not fully accept what Naruto was offering to her. Maybe she had not grown at all from the young girl that had run away from the blonde haired boy in the tree. Back then she was not ready to be his friend.
She felt her face heat up. As much as she wanted to deny it, his words had caused warmth in her belly. His faith in her caused her heart to soar. Maybe she could do this. Maybe she could find a way to balance the two worlds. Maybe she could be a mother.
Sakura mirrored his posture. She turned in time to see the surprise in his eyes. She smiled at him. It was her first real smile in a really long time. Sakura could never fake it when she was around Naruto. He too knew her too well for such nonsense. "Thank you." Her words were soft but the weight of the gesture was significant.
His lips tugged into an easy grin. They both turned their attention to the sky. Not much was guaranteed n their life. They were shinobi. They were well aware of that fact but they had chosen their profession despite the high mortality rate. They were shinobi but maybe someday, they could become much more than that.
End of Flashback.
Closure.
She needed to provide the people that had helped her with closure. Some had argued that closure was nothing but a pipedream but she had to try. She had to make sure they had as many pieces to the puzzle that they could handle. Their lives would never be the same because of her. And for better or worse, they were all affected by her arrival in one way or another. She owed it to them to be as honest as open as she could.
But even honesty and truth could be a very bad thing in large amounts. She was about to share highly classified things with them that they would need to take with them to their graves. But everything needed to be done with discretion. There was something that she was not quite ready to share with anyone. And maybe she never would be ready.
The only reason this meeting had been pushed off so late was because Minato still had to deal with the fallout from Kumo. He chose to believe their story of being strong armed into requesting assistance under false pretenses. It would have been harder to believe had they not paid a handsome endowment as their way of showing their sincerity. It was so generous in fact, that Konoha would finally be able to expand the Academy to resemble what Sakura remembered. So something good came out of her near death experience.
The only drawback was that Kushina was not scheduled to arrive back from her mission in time for this. But Sakura had already said all she needed too to the redhead. She had her share of ambiguities and lack of details to sprinkle in on her retelling. It had actually worked out for the best. Her talk with Kushina was like a practice round. It allowed her to assess what reactions she could expect from the people in the room. It also allowed her to decide just what to say and what to keep a tight lip about. It also made her less nervous about what she had to do now.
She had made up her mind that she would not tell the others about Kohana and Tukiko. It was for the best and it was also important that the two females did not know about Madara. Tukiko was completely innocent. The girl did not choose her parents. It was through no fault of her own that she was the offspring of Konoha's most hated nemesis.
The only other person who knew about Tukiko's father was Minato. The blonde had agreed that it would be best to keep that fact to themselves. Tukiko could still have a happy, normal childhood if she stayed oblivious to her heritage. Sakura hoped that the girl would not follow in her father's footsteps and become a ninja. It would be hard to deny her ancestry if she awoke her Sharingan. But Minato had told her to only worry about things that were in her control. So she chose not to endanger the mother and daughter by completely glossing over that part of the conversation she had with Madara.
It was not that she did not trust them but she wanted to give the raven haired girl her best chance. And that meant not being known. As far as Konoha was concerned, they were but two nameless individuals that lived in another village. They were completely and utterly harmless to Konoha's security. And besides, even if they were as silent as a corpse, she did not trust the two council members that were in the room. They had to be there. She understood the reason behind their presence but it did not make her any more receptive to their persons.
Since coming back in time, Sakura had become a firm believer in the notion that a person was more than their genetic makeup. She did not believe in the idea that a person would turn out a certain way just because of some genetic predisposition. How Tukiko would be raised would hold more merit than who her biological parents are. If Kohana truly loved her daughter as much as Sakura thought she did, Tukiko would turn out to be a fine human being.
All the girl needed was someone to believe in her. Tukiko had her mother and Sakura to fill that role. She just needed a chance, a shot at happiness and Sakura would try her best to give it to her. Madara was nothing more than a sperm donor. Tukiko was defiantly not his child. Her mother would raise her the right way and that fact let her breathe easier.
Unfortunately, she was choosing to hide something from Minato as well. He did not need to know all the details of her encounter with Madara. So she elected to keep her seventy-two hours of torture to herself. She did not want to put him through that ordeal. It was a skeleton in her closet that she did not want to face. It was easier to pretend that it had never happened. Akemi was helping her through it anyway.
"So the Sage of Six Paths had nine disciples and each disciple had the chakra of a tailed beast?" Jiraiya's voice had a hit of amazement. She could not fault him on it. She had just spent the past hour and a half debriefing them on what she knew. She had to keep her tongue under the control of her brain so each word she uttered was carefully thought out. She was in s room with the sharpest shinobi minds of her time. One slip up and she would end up sharing more than she had intended to.
Sakura nodded her head. Her throat was dry and slightly hoarse from speaking for a prolonged period of time. She wanted to do nothing more than curl up into a ball and sleep the forming headache away. "They had the chakra capacity of the tailed beasts but their chakra was in a less refined form." Sakura explained for the second time that afternoon.
"So their chakra control must be superior to that of even a medic." Tsunade's voice was barely above a mutter. She looked at Sakura with a strange gleam in her eyes. She was too tired to try to figure out just what her former master was thinking. "You were able to control it, were you not?"
Sakura nodded again. She was beginning to feel like one of those dolls that had a spring for a neck. "More or less. I could only control about a third of the chakra that is in the reserves. It's too random and powerful to use without more practice. If I'm not careful it could very easily blow me up." Sakura ignored the flabbergasted look on her former master's face. But she did not miss the sharp look Minato shot her. 'Opps,' she should have probably kept that one to herself.
"So you have as much chakra as the kyuubi?" Jiraiya asked the question that weighed on everyone's mind. It would be both a blessing and a curse. Having two kyuubi's or two large chakra capacities would make it very unattractive for someone to attack Konoha but it would also put everyone at unease. Having one potential ticking time bomb was bad enough, but two was just asking for trouble.
Sakura was quick to answer and to put their fears to rest. The way the elders were eyeing her made her blood boil. It was the same way they eyed Naruto. They thought she was a monster. They had already made that assumption about her and she doubted anything would change their minds. But she could not stand the thought of her loved ones holding her in the same regard. "No, I defiantly do not. The disciple that chose me does. I probably have a third-if that- of what the kyuubi has and I can only control a fraction of it." Her response seemed to relax the atmosphere of the room, aside from the two pairs of narrowed eyes.
"There were eight others before you," Sarutobi finally broke his silence. Sakura looked at him and gave him a small smile. He really was one of her most favorite people. Having him back made her realize just how much she had missed the old man. Orochimaru had taken more from the village than anyone could have given it. Not for the first time, she was thankful that he was gone for good.
"Yes and I was meant to be the last one. Sink or swim they put all their hope in me stopping the man before he reincarnated the ten-tails," She muttered the last part almost bitterly. Despite it all it was still hard for her to grasp how these higher beings could put so much on one person. But maybe she was never truly meant to do it on her own. Her guide had urged her from the start to trust those around her. So maybe she should not be so angry with the disciples. After all, she had found very capable help.
"The disciple that had chosen you was the most intelligent." Everyone looked at the former Hokage with interest. Sakura felt her stomach soar with delight. It felt nice having someone appreciate her work. Praise was praise but it meant something more coming from someone that she truly respect. "This person had the most amount of chakra and they knew that it would be divided three ways. You were picked last but you were always the best hope they had. They waited for you to mature and gather strength. You were also the only one that accomplished the feat of controlling your chakra."
"The disciples were the original jinchuuriki," Sakura's voice was heavy with emotion. She looked at Tsunade and watched the woman's reaction. She understood how much it must hurt to realize that your own grandmother chose another to bear responsibility. But it had to be said. T
"So the disciple that chose you," Jiraiya began with wide eyes. He too had realized the implications of what Sakura had just said. He half turned to face the slug princess. The grave mask his wore perfectly reflected Sakura's feelings.
"Was my grandmother," Tsunade finished off for him in a quiet voice. Everyone turned to look at the blonde. Her face was blank. Her eyes were glassy. Sakura was worried that the blonde had completely checked out from this conversation. She watched with a tight heart as Tsunade closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was hard for the princess to hear. But it was even harder for Sakura to say.
Sakura curtly nodded her head. The faster she got this off her chest the easier it would be for everyone. "It was Uzumaki Mito who chose me." Sarutobi had a small smile on his lips and it hit Sakura that the man had his suspicions all along. He knew more than he had told her. He knew more than she could have ever had imagined. The extent of his knowledge would forever be a mystery to her. So she was not the only one that had secrets that would die with her.
Sakura had figured out the truth the moment Madara had informed her that she was the last one. Once the first jinchuuriki had passed they became protectors of the tailed beasts. It was their burden to ensure that the ten-tails would not be revived. The Sage of Six Paths had trusted them with this responsibility.
Sakura now shared an unbreakable relationship with the first jinchuuriki of the kyuubi. Mito's chakra was flowing through her when she fought Madara. It was her power that gave her so much speed and strength. It was Mito's life force that had kept her alive. Mito had let Sakura experience a lifetime's worth of love and friendship before calling her back to fulfill her role. And just like what Mito had comforted Kushina, Mito had Akemi comfort Sakura. Uzumaki Mito was the mastermind behind it all.
It was her charkra that had kept her alive when she fought Danzo, and Madara. It was her light, kind, nurturing, healing chakra that made all of this possible. The first container of the kyuubi's chakra was the complete antithesis of the kyuubi's dark, volatile, destructive, and bloodthirsty being. While Naruto had been bestowed the anger of the kyuubi, Sakura had been blessed with love. Her gift was light and healing strength and his curse was destructive power beyond comprehension.
But even he had managed to turn that curse into a gift. He was an Uzumaki after all. She did not expect anything less from the blonde. And like Akemi, he had helped her. He had helped her more than she could ever help him. Akemi was just an extension of the Uzumaki. Akemi was a vehicle in which Mito's orders were relayed. Akemi was a mere physical representation of Mito's desires and requests.
"But if you were born in the past," a sudden look of pain crossed the frog sage's face. He had figured out what Sakura was struggling to say. He had pieced together the puzzle and she was sure that the rest of them were not far behind.
"That means my grandmother was alive when she chose you." Tsunade looked at the pinkette with hooded eyes. Her shoulders were so rigid that Sakura feared they would snap. A very real fear suddenly raced through her. What if Tsunade hated her? What is Tsunade would blame Sakura for her grandmother's deteriorating health? What if this was simply too much of a blow to get over?
Sakura nodded her head slowly. She forced the words out of mouth. "Her chakra was needed to transport my parents and me into the future. Had it been only me, Akemi-hime could have handled it."
"But that means she knew! And she never told anyone. She never told me." Sakura watched with sympathy as her master struggled to come to grips with everything. Sakura understood the pain of thinking you knew someone when in reality you did not know them very well at all. She hoped that this knowledge would not taint Tsunade's memories of her dear, beloved grandmother.
"She couldn't tell you Tsunade-chan," everyone turned their attention to Sarutobi. He was best suited for providing perspective and solace to the shaking blonde. "The future needed to pan out as organically as possible so that Sakura-chan could develop the skills she needed. Who knows what might have happened had people known about Sakura. The whole future could have been jeopardized."
Sarutobi allowed his words to sink in. The shinobi in his presence had been through more than their fair share of tragedy and heart ache. They were all relatively young but they had seen too much.
"Not to sound insulting, but I still don't see why she chose you. Picking a child of civilians was extremely risky. If they knew about their mission why didn't they chose someone sooner?" Jiraiya's eyes bored into hers.
Sakura was far from offended. She had asked the new presence in her mind a similar question two days ago. Sakura closed her eyes as she reflected back on the memory.
Flashback:
The sound of Minato's deep breathes were the only things that reached her ears. Sakura looked blankly at the ceiling above her. She could not sleep. She was still missing parts of the puzzle and it was eating away at her. She needed to know more. She had to know more. There were still so many what ifs. There was still so much that she had to fill in on her own. She wanted answers and the one person who could provide them was conveniently absent from her head for the past few days.
She never would have thought to call the maiden a coward but she was beginning to give it real thought. Maybe coward was too harsh. Maybe an excellent, strategic retreater would be a better term. Every night since her encounter with the One-Tails, Sakura sought the guidance of Akemi but every time her inquisitions were greeted by silence.
Akemi was different than Inner-Sakura. The maiden did not answer to anyone, least of all Sakura. She was free to offer her input when she saw fit and be completely dormant whenever she so chose to be. It was tricky trying to remain diplomatic with the new residence in her head. But she was not one to give up so easily.
She was ready to try again. She exhaled silently. She needed to gather her courage and thoughts. Sakura closed her eyelids and regulated her breathing until she was in a deep meditative state.
"Hime?" She called out tentatively to the empty walls of her mind. Again there was nothing. It was the same as the last five times she had tried. Just as she was about to give up hope and call it a night the world around her came into sharper focus. The lighting intensified. Her heart was in her throat. Sakura wiped her sweaty palms against the fabric of her shorts. She saw Akemi before she heard the woman. The white haired, gold eyed maiden smiled at her. Sakura saw right through it, it never reached her eyes. "Why did Mito chose me?" She blurted out before Akemi could avoid the subject.
The woman sighed and said nothing. Sakura could tell that Akemi was extremely hesitant. "Please," her voice came out weakly. She watched as Akemi's hard gaze melted into a softer one. She needed to know. It was killing her.
"Did you ever wonder flower-chan, that despite the fact your parents loved children they only had you?" Sakura blinked at the question proposed to her. She was not expecting anything close to this. Her question caused Sakura to take a moment and really think.
She remembered on multiple occasions asking her parents for a sibling when she had been younger. She also vividly remembered the pained look that would flash across their faces before they smiled sadly at her. It's not that they did not want more children. It's that they could not have more.
Akemi watched apprehensive eyes as the realization crossed Sakura's face.
End of Flashback
"I was chosen more out of necessity than preference." Sakura took in their confused expressions in stride. The only one that was not staring at her like she was a three headed monster was Minato. So she chose to make eye contact exclusively with him until she felt comfortable enough to look at the others. He was her rock and she needed him now more than ever.
"The eighth disciple and his choice had failed their attempt to kill Madara only a few years before I was born. Mito had very little choices in which she could choose. Minato, Mikoto, Shikaku, Inochi, Hiashi, Choza, Tsume, Shibi were all already born. And they were all heirs so she couldn't send them into the future without risking everything."
Sakura took in a calming breath before she began explaining how her mother fit into the equation. It was still a very fresh emotional wound. But she kept picking at it. Maybe one day it would finally scab over. "My mother was unable to carry a child to term," their dumbfounded expressions greeted her. "She would get pregnant but the fetus would spontaneously abort during the later stages of her second trimester. I was her forth pregnancy."
"She got lucky with you," Tsunade was the first one to break the silence. She was a medic. She had seen wilder things in her time. It was not unlikely for a woman to go through a few miscarriages before finally having a healthy baby. The stars all lined up for Sakura to be born. Sometimes all it took was a little bit of luck.
Sakura shook her head sadly. She blinked back the tears. She cleared her throat before she continued on. "Somehow word about my mother's three failed pregnancies reached Mito. The woman did not have any formal training in medical ninjustu but she was quite apt at using her light release. She convinced my mother to let her check her and the baby. It was because of her that I'm standing here today. Without her chakra being implemented in me, I would have died just like the others."
No wonder her body had readily accepted Akemi's chakra. It was the same chakra that helped her come into this word. The light release had caressed her so protectively against her fight with Madara because it was used to protecting her in her mother's womb. Mito's chakra had been a part of her life since before she drew her first breath. She was just now aware of that fact. She had a former first lady always looking out for her. She was never truly alone in this world after all.
Mito had failed to come across an ideal candidate so she helped create one. By making sure that Sakura's mother's fourth pregnancy was a success, Mito had already introduced her light release chakra to the developing fetus that would eventually become Sakura. Since Sakura had been exposed to the chakra from the very beginning she had the best chance at controlling it. Mito was many things and intelligent was at the top of the list.
"Everything comes full circle, huh?" Tsunade's voice sounded far away. Sakura looked at her sadly. The woman had finally pieced everything together. They all had. Her only silver lining was that the Elders remained true to their word and had not uttered a sound. She could only imagine how hard it must have been for them to not order for decapitation. Not that Minato would have listened to it anyways. Maybe they saw that they were outnumbered and wisely chose to keep quiet.
"It appears so." It was Minato who had spoken for the first time. His eyes held a gentle note to them. Sakura tried her best to smile at him. It felt unnatural and tight. From the dip of the corner of his mouth, she concluded that it was not very convincing. She could tell him she was fine until she was blue in the face but he probably would not believe her. she was convinced that if they were alone in the room, he probably would have enveloped her in a hug until she really was fine.
The silence of the room was overwhelming but it was Tsunade who recovered first. "Sakura you were the first one to be able to harness the chakra," Sakura recognized the pride cross Tsunade's faces but she pretended not to notice. "As to be expected of my student." Tsunade clasped her on the back with a tad bit more force than necessary.
Sakura found herself tumbling forward. She stopped her moment by grabbing on to the front of Minato's desk. "Easy," she growled lowly as she glared back at the blonde. Tsunade just smirked effortlessly at her.
The Harno could not help but smile back. Tsunade did not hate her. It was a load of her chest. The blonde could not have taken the news any better. "How will you master this new power?" Sarutobi's voice brought her back to her senses.
"Akemi-hime is willing to help me," she grinned broadly at the varying degrees of shock in front of her. Sakura pointed to her forehead and explained. "When Madara tried to take the light chakra I had no idea of how to fight back. She pulled me into my subconscious and offered to lend me her power. She's been a permanent fixture in my thoughts since then." Sakura watched with amusement as Minato's face blanched. She winked discretely at him.
"Interesting, tell me Sakura-chan has she been the one who has been watching over you?" She could almost hear the gears in the former Hokage's brain turn.
"I used to get pulled into my subconscious when I was on the verge of dying. It was my body's way of recovering from trauma. I would be put into a comma like state so that the light chakra could heal me." Sarutobi nodded his head curtly and it just occurred to her that this man had figured out everything.
"You are originally from this time," it was not a question but Sakura nodded anyway.
"My parents were transported to the future shortly after I was born. The disciple that chose me fabricated false memories for my parents. They were under the impression that they had migrated to Konoha. They were completely unaware to the fact that they were from Konoha but just from a different time." She tried to keep the pain out of her voice when she mentioned her parents but she had detected a quiver.
Sarutobi looked at Sakura for a moment before he smiled kindly at her. His hand rested on her head in an affectionate manner. It reminded her of her father. "I think we all owe you a thank you, Sakura-chan. Without you our world would have been in shambles." Sakura watched in horror as the Hokage bowed at her. She was mortified that the others were following suit.
"What? No please don't…I really didn't do anything…" their laughter rang in her ears.
"So you're like a hero, Sakura-sensei!" Sakura sighed as she took in Obito's excited face. She swung her legs idly on her stool. She really should have seen this coming. Agreeing to have lunch with Minato's runts would only end in them worshiping the very ground that she walked on. Having Rin do it was bad enough but now she could officially add Obito to her rapidly growing list.
"I'm really not Obito. Anyone would have tried to defeat Madara." She smiled kindly at Teuchi as he placed her order in front of her. He could not have any better timing. The arrival of her food gave her something to focus her attention on.
The stand owner looked at her with a strange look. He looked star struck. She ignored the way her hair on the back of her neck rose. She had been getting that same look quite a lot lately. Her lack of enthusiasm did nothing to curb Obito's. But she really did not expect anything different.
Obito just shook his head emphatically. His eyes were wide with excitement. His loud voice was starting to cause her momentary deafness. "You're a hero Sakura-sensei! And I bet you all the other squads are jealous that they don't have a jonin instructor who's as strong as you." Sakura could not help herself she pinched to boy's cheeks. He was too adorable for his own good. Sometimes she wished she could adopt him, not that it would be much more of a responsibility. He basically lived at the apartment she and Minato shared. They all did and she would not have it any other way.
"Thanks Obi-kun, now are you going to tell me where you heard about our top secret mission from?"Her lips stretched into a sickly sweet smile. But the boy's face drained of color nevertheless. Her tone left no room for argument and she watched the boy wilt under her gaze. His face deflated before her eyes.
"A Konoha shinobi never rats out another. I'm sorry sensei but I can't, it goes against my nindo. I'd rather die than betray a comrade." His solemn eyes showed the depths of his disappointment. Sakura rolled her eyes at the overly dramatic boy in front of her. He was too much like Naruto for his own good or rather, for her own good.
"It's okay." She said without missing a beat. The Uchiha eyed her suspiciously. She bared her teeth at him. "I already know who it was." She made a mental note to threaten Inoichi. Now she knew that it was not entirely Ino's fault that she was so inclined to indulge in gossip, it ran in her family. It was in her blood to talk about everybody and everything.
"You do?" Obito looked up at her in wonder. Sakura nodded her head as she took a bite of her noodles. She savored the saltiess on her tongue. She still loved sugar but ramen was a nice change of pace every once and while. Well, to be completely honest, she had it more often that every once and a while. Kushina dragged her here at least twice a week and that was only if Sakura was successful in hiding from the red haired psycho.
"Yep and I'll make sure that they think twice before opening their mouth." Obito involuntarily shuddered at the vicious smile on his sensei's face. She terrified him. She really did.
"Yo," Kakashi greeted them as he took a seat next to Sakura. Sakura merely nodded her head to greet him. Her little conversation with Obito had left her drained. She needed a minute to find her happy place before all of this reset itself from the beginning.
"You're late." Obito said flatly with irritation. He even went as far as pointing a chopstick in Kakashi's direction. Sakura snorted at the irony of the situation. Obito had rubbed off on Kakashi in more ways than one. The Hatake had picked up on his friend's bad habit. She would have to straighten him out sooner or later. If she let his new inclination for tardiness slide for much longer, he would reach the status of grown-up Kakashi. And that was one thing this world could so do without.
"Kaka-kun nice of you to finally join us," Sakura greeted him more warmly. She had missed the boys in her absence. They had just recently returned from a mission. Konoha had emerged from the war as a powerhouse. They were getting more mission than ever before and the village was thriving as a result.
It was nice seeming them not littered with holes and bleeding to death. Although that was very much an exaggeration it still gave her anxiety whenever they were out of the village by themselves. She trusted them, she really did but it was in her nature to worry. And she was constantly worried about them. So much so, that after a mission they had to come straight to her so she could heal them.
Protocol be damned. She did not care if it only was a few cuts and bruises. She wanted to make sure with her own eyes that all three of them were looked after properly. She did not trust anyone else's competence when it came to her little kiddos. And she really did consider them as her kids.
"Where's Rin?" The teen asked as he looked around for his missing teammate. It took a total of a minute and a half for Kakashi to notice that Rin was not around. And they say boys are unobservant.
"She's out shopping with Shizune," Sakura said with a tight lip. It was fair to say that there was a little competition between her and Tsunade to see who would raise a better pupil and Sakura was determined to win. She had a lot of money ridding on it. Not that she would ever tell Minato. The self-righteous bastard looked down his nose at the very idea of a friendly wager. So this too was a secret that she would take to her grave.
She tried not to let the idea of Rin spending time with her supposed rival bother her too much. She loved Shizune and she was happy that the girls were leaning on each other as the progressed in their careers as medics. But she also wanted to win. She was competitive. That was just how she was built.
Kakashi and Obito exchanged knowing looks and said "girls," in the same tired tone.
"Trouble in paradise?" Sakura chocked a brow in interest. Just because she did not advertise her need for gossip did not mean that she did not partake in it- every once and a while. She was dying to have something to talk about other than her love life, which the village had taken a sick fascination too.
Obito scratched his head in frustration "It's just that I can't get her to take me seriously, you know?" He looked at Sakura with glum eyes. The expression he wore was painfully familiar. He really was just like Naruto.
"Obito you can't ask her out every day and expect her to suddenly say yes if you don't change. You need to show her you're serious." Sakura offered the boy a pat on the head. "Besides didn't you promise me that you would never give up on her?" She smirked at the boy's sudden drive.
"Hell yeah! I will win Rin!" Sakura sighed in annoyance. She jabbed him neck with her finger. He yelped in surprise and pouted at her. His large dark eyes blinked at her in confusion. He did not realize his mistake.
"Rin isn't an object. You can't win her." She said to clenched teeth. She was beginning to wonder if this was a hopeless cause. Maybe the male race was just born completely and utterly clueless.
"Right, " Obito began slowly as he watched his sensei with a weary look. "But I will get her to fall in love with me, become Hokage, and have her marry me. Just like Minato sensei got you to fall in love with him! When's the wedding Sakura-sensei?" Sakura choked. Kakashi handed her a glass of water which she greedily drank. He patted her on the back with a bored expression as she coughed to her heart's content.
"Where did you hear that from?" Sakura squawked indignantly at Obito. Both teens winced at her tone. It was an octave or two higher than they were used too. Sakura was close to losing it and they knew that all too well.
"Inuzuka-san has been telling everyone that you have sensei whipped, and perfectly trained. She's also telling anyone who will listen that you're getting married." Kakashi was the one to respond to her in an uninterested tone. Sakura eyes widened as she processed the information.
This explained why people were congratulating Sakura and giggling as she walked by. It also explained the hushed voices. She had thought the congratulations were for coming back alive. No wonder the female population had been particularly awful to her in the past few days. Sakura covered her face with her hands and let out a groan. If Yoshiro got a whiff of this, she was done for.
"Really you heard it from Inuzuka-san? Nara-san told me." Obito said happily. The boy was completely oblivious to his sensei's inner turmoil. Sakura let out a whine and smacked her head against the counter. Teuchi came from behind the flap of his kitchen at the sound.
Kakashi and Obito looked at her in concern. "You okay Sakura-sensei? Sensei?!" Sakura's hand reached out and pinched the loud boy's lips together.
"Not another word, Obito." Her voice was muddled but Obito heard the thinly veiled threat that was left unsaid. He nodded against her grip. He had learned not to test Sakura.
"I still don't see the big deal, ya' know." Kushina watched the pacing medic with an amused smile. She was going to wear a hole in her floorboards if she kept her frantic movements up. On one hand she was very entertained but on the other, she did not want to have to buy a new floor.
"Kushina, he only proposed last week and people are already calling me Namikaze-sama! Oh god my life is over." Sakura flopped onto Kushina's bed in a dramatic fashion. Her sudden weight caused the bed to bounce slightly.
She did not really mean it. Minato would never ask her to leave her work with the hospital. He knew just how much she loved it. He also would never dream of asking her to quit her job and leave everything she worked for behind. Or one, Tsunade would probably rip him apart if he ever decided to do so. But the real reason was because he respected her. The Yondiame knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he came after her.
He loved her too much to make her choose between the two things that she cared more about than anything, him and her duty to Konoha. This was her village every bit that it was his. She had a duty to serve its best interest any way possible. And she was going to honor that. Sakura was sure that he understood that better than most.
But something was still causing her stomach to tighten into a knot. It was like an ominous feeling. She could not help but shake the inkling that this was going to change everything. Her decision was going to alter the landscape to the point that her original timeline would be nothing but a faint ghost. Was she ready for that? Was she ready for her life to turn on its head? Was she ready to be married to a Kage?
Kushina turned to look down at her. She poked Sakura's stomach with her fingers. The pinkette grunted weakly. "What's the big deal?" Kushina asked again. "As far as the village is concerned you guys were already married. Everyone knew it was a matter of time before Minato sucked it up and asked you. It really isn't a surprise to anyone, ya' know. We saw this coming. His devotion to you is Konoha's worst kept secret, dattebane!" Her voice was light and teasing but she meant every word.
"It's just happening so fast. This is…" 'not supposed to happen. You should be the one in my place.' Sakura covered her eyes with her arms. She let out another groan before she could stop herself.
"Well this is what you want, right? This will make you happy, right?" The sudden seriousness in Kushina's voice surprised the kunoichi. She pushed herself onto her elbows and met her friend's eyes. There was nothing but genuine happiness in them. Kushina did not resent her and that lifted the pressure on her chest.
"Do you remember what you asked me back in Suna?" The question caught the redhead off guard. She blinked in a confused manner before a look of understanding flitted in her eyes. The Uzumaki's lips stretched into a small smile.
"Do you know how to answer it now?" Sakura contemplated the redhead's question. She did want this. She was happy. This was the happiest she's been since the war broke out. She was happier now than she was at any point in the past. She was not sorry for her life. She was not sorry that the Gods had chosen her.
She was not sorry for anything. "Yes," her voice was firm and it seemed to reassure her that she was making the right decisions. "Yes to all of it." That she had made the right decisions since she was brought here.
Sakura closed her eyes. Naruto was right. She was with the right guy. She could try to have it all. And she was sure it was not going to be as bad as she pictured in her head. She would not be alone. He would be here to help her every step of the way. They would learn together, grow together and that notion was very promising. They would be happy. They would be fine. Or at the very least, they would fight to the death for a chance at happiness.
She was happy and she would do it all over again, in a heartbeat.
Sakura pushed back a lock of hair as she channeled the pure chakra through her. She felt a soft light illuminate her as she began to feel lightheaded. 'Flower-chan you need to relax the flow. You are taking too much.' Akemi's voice cautioned her.
Sakura gathered a small sphere of spinning light chakra in her hands and coaxed it to expand. The sphere began to thin out until it resembled a sword. Sakura tested the weight of the blade in her hands before she lunged at a wood clone.
She aimed for the clone's jugular but the blade ended up connecting at the collar bone. She let out a frustrated growl. That had been her tenth attempted. She was getting closer to her target but she was still a ways off. 'I need to learn how to control this Akemi-hime, I need to protect this village and everyone in it.'
'If you continue to push yourself too far you will end up doing more harm than good.' Sakura sighed as she gave in to the logical voice in her head. She dispelled the light and she found herself more lightheaded than she had originally thought.
Akemi had been right. She had used too much too quickly. The danger of the light chakra was that she could not accurately gauge the effect it had on her. The chakra distorted her tolerance for pain and fatigue. She could feel completely invincible under the cloak of the chakra but in reality she could be on the verge of death.
Sakura dragged herself to a nearby tree. She pressed her back against the bark of it and looked tiredly at the dark sky. 'It's going to rain soon,' she thought weakly. She knew that she should get up and go home but she was so comfortable. Sleep was so inviting.
Cold droplets awoke her. Sakura opened her heavy lids and found herself surrounded by yellow. She lifted her head up before bringing it back down. She pressed the side of her face against Minato's shoulder blade.
"You found me," she said in a sleepy tone. She felt Minato shift his hold on her and in response Sakura tightened her knees around him.
"You've beginning to become really predictable." Sakura ignored his comment and snuggled deeper against his robes. The warmth that he was giving off was pleasant.
"You smell nice," she said in an unexpectedly sweet tone. The rain had enhanced his scent to the point that it was all she could smell. She liked it.
"No amount of compliments is going to get you out of this one, Sakura." Sakura found herself pouting but he could not see it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his. "I mean it. This is the twelfth time this month I've had to come get you. You're getting really reckless."
"I'm sorry Hokaga-sama, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Sakura asked in an innocent voice. She shivered as a cold breeze rocked her frame. Her pink locks were plastered against her face and back. Her clothes clung to her in an annoying fashion but she ignored the discomfort. She was happy.
"Not going to work." His voice was flat but Sakura could tell that his annoyance was receding. He could never stay mad at her for long. She knew all of his weaknesses. "Do you know how troublesome it is to have people come up to me and tell me what you've passed out again?"
The first time it had happened everyone had been so alarmed, especially Minato. Now it was almost mundane and routine. It was an off day in which Sakura was not unconscious on the training ground floor. Sakura scrunched her nose in displeasure. "You've been hanging around Shikaku too much." She noted airily right before she sneezed. The sneeze was followed by another shortly after.
"Don't you dare get sick on me. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow so I won't be able to take care of you." Minato's threat did not frighten her in the slightest way. Sakura closed her eyes and smiled contently.
She awoke with a throbbing headache and a fever but to her immense satisfaction Minato did not get any work done for the next couple days.
He was too busy playing nurse.
Yay or nay?
Let your voice be heard. Review! Please and thank you. :)