-x-

**Rewritten as of December 18th**

A/N: Okay, I have received MULTIPLE messages about how confusing the story is becoming and I had a feeling it was. So I rewrote the chapter, to ensure a smoother timeline. I apologize for creating a confusing story, and that wasn't my intention. I'll try and be a bit more clear and concise, moving forward.

12 Days Ago

Jonin Exams Day 4

She watched the sun rise, a blanket pulled from the bed wrapped tight around her, nestled into the crook of the open window. The air was cool, and felt like a refreshing splash of water on her face. Everything was quiet. She felt a strange disconnect between herself and everything else. It was as if she were somewhere untouchable, unreachable by the voices, the ache of her wounds, the blackness of her feelings.

She could think. Clearly, for the first time in days. She felt as if she were in the eye of the storm, and while that gave her a small measure of comfort, she knew that the second half of the storm was always worse.

But really, what could get worse than what she had already experienced?

There was no use getting worked up about it now, she would take it in stride when she got there. She had more pressing things to figure out while her head was quiet. In moments like these, what would the Uchiha's say? How would they help her with quite possibly the biggest misogynist asshole she had ever met?

Izumi and Shisui would simultaneously agree that she should burst in there, feral and screaming, flashing killing intent and forcing the poor civilian into submission.

Itachi, ever the level headed one, would tell her to channel her Chief Medic self. After all, if that girl could get the fearsome Bear to stand down, she could easily get a Daimyo to bend to her will.

Lord Botan was an asshole. Probably the biggest one she had ever met. She wasn't a stranger to misogyny. But it became rare once she got stronger. While men don't typically appreciate a woman that can overpower them, she found they had no arguments when they saw how easily she is able to crack open the earth with her fist.

But even Tsunade wasn't immune to sexism. She was a Hokage, and yet still her council consisted of men who undermined her, opposed her at every turn, would scoff and roll their eyes, wondering if it was her time of the month that made her so irritable. They would sneer and whisper to each other that women's feelings were so volatile, they had no place in positions where only men could be consistent and clearheaded.

Why is it that kunoichi's were the only ones sent out on seduction missions? Forced to pull on a skin-tight dress, flirt with aged men, bed them for information? She had never seen a man do that.

So. Her two options on how to get Lord Botan to comply with the escort mission so she could get it out of the way and move onto the second client.

She could march in there, and let it loose. Yell at him in her Chief Medic voice, ordering him around, and prove that she wouldn't be opposed.

The other was to go in there nicely, explain the situation, tell him that he wouldn't find anyone else on such short notice. She would list all of her accomplishments, tell him that he was safe with her. Tell him that she was exceptional at what she is. She was worthy. You're useless.

Sakura groaned, burying her face into her knees. An hour, she had a solid hour without the peanut gallery in her ears. She wanted to tear up because that was the best hour of her life. She tossed the blanket off, rolling her shoulders and prepared for the day.

-x-

Fresh and early, she walked right past the reception and burst into Botan's office. His sneer was still in place one he took a good look at who it was. The voices inside her head were scratching at the curve of her ear, and she bit down. "Lord Botan," she started, voice low and as compelling as she could make it. No matter how much she despised the man. No matter how much she wanted to just walk away from this mess. "I am Sakura Haruno. I am the Hokage's apprentice. I have mastered chakra control, I can heal any injury, and I am the one and only thing that will get you from here to Storm in one piece."

He opened his mouth to argue with her, but she shut it down with a fist cracking down on his mahogany desk, the wood groaned loudly. "Sir. Either you can accept me as your escort, or you can miss your meeting. I doubt that you will find any strong team to escort you last minute." She leaned in closer, dropping her voice. "I have never failed a mission."

She met his gaze and held it, refusing to back down. His mouth opened and closed, opened and closed before he tsk'd loudly, shoving his paperwork away from him, his gaze tearing away from hers and she refused to fluff up in pride.

"Excellent choice, sir. We leave in two hours, please be ready."

-x-

As promised, the man was packed and ready, loaded up into his gilded carriage like some King.

Well, she thought to herself, Daimyo were the closest thing the world had to a King. She could only thank the lucky stars that it wasn't just one Daimyo to rule the world, and that decisions made were based on 'all in favor'.

The horse between her thighs was warm, an almost soothing jostle as they cantered towards Storm. The mountains were falling, replaced by a sea of trees and darkened skies that threatened to rain. After being a few days in a mountain range, she loved being back where the main color was green. She was Konoha, born and raised, and having all the color sucked out of her life was pretty saddening.

A quick glance to the Daimyo's carriage, the curtains of his window shut tightly, she frowned at him. When she got back to Konoha, she would beg, no. No, she would demand to Tsunade to never, ever give her another Daimyo escort mission. While the Fire Daimyo was a fairly tolerable man, he still spoke with an underlying expectation about women and what their true purpose in life was.

Bet Sasuke and Naruto never had to deal with that kind of stuff.

Sakura shuddered as there was a strange hissing in her ear, the clicking of tiny feet curling around the inside of her head. She gritted her teeth, cursing the fact that she couldn't quite get rid of how unsettling that feeling was. While the effects of the Lady's Nectar were slowly beginning to fade, she still had to deal with how alive the underneath of her skin felt, the droning of voices somewhere in the distance.

"Mm, Sakura-chan," the little demon drawled, curling around Sakura's body to drape herself in Sakura's lap. "It's going to take a bit more than that to get rid of me," the blonde grinned with a touch of feral, of insanity. Her fingers traced down the angles of Sakura's face. "How do you even know that this right now is real? You could just be in a illusion."

Sakura refused to even acknowledge the presence, or acknowledge her words. She had to believe that what she was experiencing now was the truth, was reality. With, unfortunately, a few hints of psychosis mixed in. She may end up blacking out for a bit, experience things that never really happened, and think that these hallucinations were hurting her, but she had to remind herself that it was all in her head. That she was the one in control here.

"Aw," Ino cooed. "Is that what you tell yourself to make you feel better?" She giggled loudly. "Give it a few more days, we'll see how you feel about that then, mm?"

I am in control. I am the one in control.

I create my reality.

Sakura swallowed thickly, picking up the pace, trying to outrun her ghosts.

I am in control.

-x-

A/N: Luckily the decision to amend this chapter doesn't mix up anything I've written past this too much.

I understand the dates of the chapters are confusing, but right now, we're in the past. We're in Sakura's memories and just playing catch up to the future.