TH: I'm posting this early because I don't think I'll have the opportunity tomorrow. And early is better than late, right? Hope you enjoy it! -cackle-


Going Sideways


Chapter Fifty-three

Theme:: Blend


Sakura could smell Konoha before she could see it. Even after being away for four years, it was immediately recognizable and familiar. The smell of green growing things, food, woodsmoke, and a hundred other scents that all blended together into one smell—'home.' The scent started off very faint, barely discernable amid the smells of the forest, but Sakura knew to look for it, and what to look for. The first whiff made her heart trip into a faster rhythm.

:Home…: The word itself was intoxicating. She could hardly wait to see Naruto and Itachi and Minato and Kakashi… Naruto was six, and Itachi was nearly twelve. She wondered how much they'd grown. Naruto must be getting ready to go to the Academy. And how far along his medical jutsu and sealing was Itachi?

Sakura realized she'd started unconsciously walking faster, and drew herself back to walk beside Jiraiya. She glanced up at her companion for the past few years, and felt her good humor sink a little.

The Toad Sage's face was drawn, his lips set in a grim line. He'd taken the discovery of the deaths of Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan hard; they'd been his apprentices and he hadn't even known they were dead until two years after the fact. While Sakura's heart ached for him, a part of her was secretly and guiltily glad. Nagato—Pein—and Konan in her timeline had become embittered toward the world, and had fallen in with Madara. The Uchiha Exile had used them, and used Pein's Rinnegan to wreak havoc on the Fire Country… really, on all the elemental nations. Madara had used Pein as a figurehead for Akatsuki, and the former Ame ninja had gladly killed in the name of Madara's "peaceful world". Sakura was glad that the suffering Pein had caused would not come to pass here. She was glad Nagato died as an idealistic young 'Nagato', and not as a broken 'Pein'. It was better that way.

Although, she was still disturbed that they hadn't been able to confirm that Nagato's Rinnegan had died with him. It was entirely possible that Madara had taken the eyes from Nagato's corpse, but it was also possible that Nagato (or Yahiko or Konan, if he had died before them) had destroyed his eyes to prevent such a thing. Sakura knew the Hyuuga Clan taught every single one of its members what to do if they were taken prisoner… She imagined that Nagato and his companions had similar 'rules.'

Sakura watched the dirt road pass under her paws as she thought. It might be exciting to return home after so long, but she couldn't really think of it as a victorious return. None of the reports they had sent back during their mission had been particularly positive, comprised largely of the news of the fall of countries and of the actions of their enemies. Madara and Orochimaru. That both were a part of Akatsuki did not bode well for the Leaf. Even if Sakura had not lived through several of Madara and Orochimaru's attacks on her timeline's Konoha, this fact would be obvious.

She hoped that this Konoha was in a better place to defend themselves against the Akatsuki. She knew that their relations with Suna were a little less strained, but one maybe-kind-of-sort-of ally wouldn't be enough. It hadn't been last time.

They reached the gates of Konoha, and Sakura sucked in a sharp breath. The guards on duty were two very familiar faces—Kotetsu and Izumo. They were sitting at the gatehouse's desk, looking a little bit younger, but otherwise identical to the memory Sakura held of her Konoha.

For a second, if felt like she was… coming home. Home home. Not this surrogate that was so close to her memories that she could almost pretend that it didn't have gaping holes where her precious people should be…

"Alright?" asked Jiraiya, having noticed her gasp. She looked up at him.

"Yes. Sorry, it's just… been a long time." Her voice was softer than normal as she tried to hide the ache in it. Jiraiya looked at her thoughtfully.

"If you want, I can report to Minato, and you can look for your boy."

Sakura assumed he meant Itachi; she'd had more interactions with him and with Naruto, though she considered both her 'boys'. The offer made her hesitate. She wanted to see Itachi, make sure he'd gotten through the last few years alright, but she also wanted to make sure Minato got all of the information he'd need. Although, with everything changing from the way it was in her timeline, maybe she couldn't add anything that Jiraiya and Minato didn't already know.

…And it wasn't as if she'd be gone for a long time again, so she could always tell them information when it became clear they needed it…

"Jiraiya and Sakura returning," the Toad Sage told Izumo and Kotetsu, once they'd gotten close enough to the desk.

"Welcome back, Jiraiya-sama, Sakura-san," said Kotetsu politely. He slid the large record book across the table toward them, and offered a pen. "Please sign in here. Do you want me to send a message to the Tower that you're back?"

"No, I'm going there right now, so it's not necessary," Jiraiya said, signing the book for both of them.

Sakura followed him as he walked down the main street of Konoha, heading toward the Hokage Tower. Her mind was racing along with her heart, her return after years of being away affecting her.

:Will Naruto remember me?: she fretted. :He was so young when I left… Oh! Is he friends with Sasuke? Or are they still only meeting incidentally when Minato and Fugaku make nice for politics?:

A horrible, cynical, broken part of her mind whispered, :Or has the Uchiha Clan been assassinated while you were away? It's about that time, from your timeline…:

Her gut twisted sharply, abruptly. She didn't really think that it was true—she and Jiraiya would have at the very least heard of such a paradigm shift; even outside of Fire Country, the fall of the Uchiha would be remarked upon. But they hadn't heard anything, so it couldn't be true.

But try telling that to Sakura's heart. She felt panic close its fist around the beating organ, squeezing it until her breath caught. She looked up at Jiraiya. "You know what? I think I will go find my apprentice. Are you still alright with reporting alone?"

"Sure," Jiraiya said. There was a shadow to his expression that said that he was remembering his slain apprentices, but Sakura couldn't stay to console him, not when there was a voice screaming at the back of her head that she had to find Itachi right now and make sure he was alright, and nota mass-murderer and villainized martyr.

She hesitated, shooting him a slightly wild look, and he waved her off. "Go."

She did.

Even though it had been years, and she was pretty sure Itachi had been born with the ability to cloak his chakra, she was still tuned to her apprentice's signature and it was but the work of a minute to pick out his general location. He was at the large Inari shrine that had been set in the forest behind the Hokage Mountain. It covered a large patch of land, although the majority of that land was kept wooded, with winding paths lined in vermillion torigates webbing it. There was an actual shrine building complex near the front, but she could tell Itachi was on the paths.

Sakura's first glimpse of her apprentice was a shock. She'd been expecting him to look older, but expecting and seeing were two different things. Itachi was taller, his childish frame beginning to tend toward a tempered leanness. His face was thinner, though not as gaunt as it was in her time. Heromamori was still in his hair.

She couldn't think of any meaningful way to announce her return, so she just shushin'd into his path and said: "Itachi!"

He tensed, and Sakura blinked in puzzlement, because surely he'd sensed her approach? But then his shoulders were relaxing, and a bit of warmth came into his eyes. "Sakura-sensei. Welcome home."

"It's been a long time," Sakura said, her happiness evident in her voice. "How are you? How's your family? How have your studies under Hokage-sama been going?"

She took a step forward, and she saw his shoulders tighten almost imperceptibly. :What is going on? He seems… wary of me…:

"My family is well. And I have learned a great deal from Hokage-sama. He has even given me access to some restricted scrolls that contain medicalfuuinjutsu," Itachi replied.

As he spoke, Sakura surreptitiously tested the air. The scents she associated with Itachi were there—ash, grass, and the 'scentless' soap ninja used—but there was... something else. And… was that… fear? Sakura sat down, trying to seem nonchalant. Why was her student afraid of her? She sniffed a little harder.

"I'm glad," she said presently. "And impressed. Medical fuuinjutsu is among the most complicated."

:He smells kind of like… like Kakashi, really. Has he been spending time with him? But why would he?:

"Do you know medical fuuinjutsu, sensei?" Itachi asked.

:Actually, it also kind of reminds me of Yamato-taichou, too. Like…:

"Yes, I—" Sakura's mouth snapped shut as she realized just what it was about Itachi's scent that reminded her of Kakashi and Yamato.

She henge'd into her human form and lunged at Itachi in one swift jerk. Desperation lent wings to her feet, and she grabbed him before he could react, shoving up the sleeve of his shirt.

:Weapons oil, porcelain dust, ink, lacquered bamboo…:

Itachi's arm was rigid in her grasp, his expression closed up. His eyes had slipped into the Sharingan from startlement, and stared at her from a face gone bone-white.

:They wore armor made of lacquered bamboo plates sandwiched between layers of heavy canvas, carried a ninjato as a badge of office, and hid behind porcelain masks…:

Sakura stared at the swirling ANBU tattoo that glared at her from her apprentice's bared shoulder. She released him as if burned, and his sleeve fell back over the mark. She took a step back, finding it suddenly hard to breathe.

"No. No. Please tell me you didn't…" she whispered, wide green eyes caught on Itachi's pale face, his crimson eyes, his flared notrils and set jaw. :No. Oh, no. Please…please…:

"Sensei," Itachi said, his voice hoarse. Sakura jerked, and took a step back like a startled deer. Her henge dropped.

"I…I…" she fumbled, her throat closing up. :I failed!:

Sakura turned and fled.