Sakura knew she was in the hospital. The consistent beeping, sterilized air, and impossibly bright lights were things she had lived and breathed daily in her old life. In her new one, these were things she was just recently exposed to.

When she opened her eyes, she saw two figures talking quietly by the window.

"This place sucks," She croaked out, a dizzy spell overwhelming her when she tried to sit up too fast. The figures broke away from the window, both of them reaching toward her in concern. "I'll be fine in a second."

One of the hands detracted after she mumbled that out, but the other continued to support her back as the world around her slowed to a stop.

"You scared us there, imouto."

"It's probably just a concussion," She said honestly. Concussions were particularly difficult to treat, even for experienced med-nin. She was probably better off letting it heal for the standard two weeks than allowing anyone besides Tsunade or Shizune to treat her.

Call her spoiled, but she really only trusted those two to heal her brain.

"Is this reality any better?" Itachi asked her quietly, regarding her with gentle eyes.

She pressed her fingers onto her temples, not even missing a beat before she replied, "It matters, I guess. How many Uchiha were killed?"

"Oh, so it is true," Shisui breathed out beside her.

"Almost every active ninja in the police force," Itachi answered. "I'm sure you know who was behind the attack."

"The masked man, yes," Sakura said, eyeing their surroundings before looking back at Itachi. "Is it safe?"

"Yes," He assured her. "Who is the masked man?"

"Depends on what part of the game we're at," She replied dryly, continuing when both boys looked at one another in confusion. "But you two probably recognize his actual name. Uchiha Obito."

"He died before you were born," Shisui pointed out and she shook her head gingerly. She hissed when pain struck her mind.

"He gave Kakashi-sensei his Sharingan and everyone thought he was dead," Sakura explained, her hands dropping into her lap. "But he isn't. He was saved from the rubble all those years ago and has remained in hiding. I don't know why he was there last night."

"So, last night never happened in your original time line?" Itachi questioned, taking the seat to her left.

"Not really."

"Not really?" Shisui echoed in a concerned tone.

"There was, uhm, a different Uchiha tragedy in my time," Sakura said slowly, tears gathering in her eyes as she focused on her wrapped up hands.

"What happened?" Itachi asked and she took a deep breath before looking up at the two Uchiha.

"In my original timeline, at this time, there were only three Uchiha's alive in the entire world," Sakura revealed, watching their confusion turn to pained expressions. "But we only knew of two. Sasuke-kun and you, Itachi-nii-san."

"What?" Shisui questioned. "Hold on a second, I was dead in your original time? What kind of justice is that?"

"I never even knew about you until you introduced yourself to me years ago when I came to give Sasuke-kun his bag," Sakura admitted, feeling horrible when Shisui looked utterly mortified. His hand removed itself from her back to rake it through his unruly hair.

"Didn't know me? What? When did I die?"

"Shisui-"

"Hey, Tachi, when you find out you're dead in an old timeline, then you get a say in this."

"I don't know when you died," Sakura told Shisui in a quiet tone. "But I'm going to assume it happened around the same time as the massacre. Which, uhm, which occurred when Sasuke-kun was seven."

"About five years ago," Itachi calculated, sighing when the date suddenly made sense. "That's when the coup was put off."

"You. . . you became friends with Sasuke around then too," Shisui realized with wide eyes. "You stopped the massacre of an entire clan by befriending Sasuke?"

"Actually, it was more of Naruto's friendship with Sasuke-kun if my theory is correct," She replied, watching as Itachi processed her words. He most have come to some sort of conclusion and his gaze landed back on her.

"How old were you when you reversed time?"

"Seventeen," She answered after a pause. "I was seven when I woke up in this timeline."

"Makes sense," Shisui commented, leaning back into his own chair. "That jutsu supposedly takes you back a decade. Huh, I wonder if that's why we get along so well. You're practically my age mentally."

"I assume you were friends with Naruto-kun and Sasuke in your old timeline," Itachi said, ignoring his cousin, and she nodded.

"We were still on Team 7 together," She began, looking straight ahead as the memories came back. "But, we weren't really friends with each other until after the Land of Waves mission. Naruto annoyed me. Sasuke-kun annoyed Naruto. And we both annoyed Sasuke-kun. Me more so than Naruto, honestly. But even then, we were more of reluctant allies to Sasuke than actual teammates. After the Chūnin Exams, we grew more or less inseparable. But. . . a few things happened and we all went our separate ways and it took a while before we were all together again."

"Naruto and I were best friends when Sasuke-kun came back to us-- during the war, actually. And we stood a chance, ya know? We were known as the New Legendary Sannin and for a while it seemed like we would win."

"But you didn't," Itachi inferred.

"No, we didn't," Sakura confirmed, the tears swelling up in her eyes as she remembered the fateful day when the war was lost. A few trailed down her cheeks as she continued. "Naruto died after Kurama was extracted from him. And then- and then the world basically ended. I would have gone with it had Sasuke not protected me just before he died. He, he was such an idiot in my old time. He thought he could put Naruto and I through so much pain and heartbreak and then come back only to use his last few minutes in that world to protect me. And when he left too, I was by myself."

"And then I was approached by your reanimation," She continued, looking over at Itachi. "You gave me the chance to fix everything. And now look at us-- a different tragedy occurred to replace the one in my original timeline."

"Is that why you aren't surprised we know?" Shisui inquired, reaching over to the table and then handed her a few tissues.

"Thanks," She said, taking them from him and dabbing away the tears. "You sort of warned me that you'd probably figure it out after a while, Itachi-nii-chan. And I'm not sure there's anything you two don't share with each other, so I figured he'd tell you if he thought it was actually true.

"I had my suspicions when I first assessed your chakra signature the same day you most likely arrived," Itachi told her, uncrossing his arms. "It felt much more tempered than it should. It was oddly calmed and controlled for a young child, especially compared to what it was the day prior. And you never noticed my signature the way you did that day."

Sakura only blinked, completely unsure of what he was talking about but agreed anyway. "What made you realize it was more plausible than not?"

"It was a few things, really, nothing so drastic to make anyone else suspicious," Itachi assured her.

"Why haven't you done anything drastic?" Shisui asked, sounding much more curious than accusing. "You've got a decades' worth of knowledge and experiences over all of your peers. You could have been hailed as a prodigy if you wanted to. Why'd you settle for suffering through my training camps and dinners with the head family?"

Sakura shook her head lightly, feeling a bit lightheaded from the motion. "Reversing time felt like I was just a seven year old who had a really, really bad nightmare that stemmed over a decade. Just because I know how to walk up surfaces and perform complex medical procedures, it doesn't mean my body was capable of producing those results. I still have to train the hard way. And this. . . this was my second chance to do things right by my boys."

"And if I picked up on things far too quickly, I would have been called a prodigy. And that would draw unwanted attention onto me and change the time line drastically. I want to change the outcome of this life, but I still need for certain events to occur. Because, without them, I'd be afraid of the future I helped create."

"So, you're choosing your meddling wisely," Itachi stated plainly and she shrugged.

"I wouldn't call it wise since an event that didn't happen in my old timeline just did in this one," She said in a defeated tone.

Shisui placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a very stern look. "If I'm still alive in this timeline, I'd say you've done some pretty wise things."

Sakura let out a light laugh, her smile mirroring Shisui's. "I gained another protective brother, that's for sure."

"And, by all accounts, you stopped the total annihilation of our clan, even with the losses from tonight," Itachi pointed out. "Which is going to change a lot of things for us, Shisui."

"I know," The other boy groaned. "We're going to have another surge of support for a coup. Though, most Uchiha shinobi were killed in the attack, so it's not like there's a whole lot of military power to support the move. Hey, wait a second-- Does this mean you knew for a fact you could get Sasuke to tell clan secrets? Because that is so cheating."

"Sasuke-kun has never lied to me," Sakura said with a shrug. "Not in this life or my last one. Well, never about the serious stuff. And I'm rather astute for my age, right? I just had to guess correctly long enough for him to crack."

"You totally cheated," Shisui concluded, crossing his arms and pouting. "Itachi, why didn't you warn me sooner? I totally got played. You let me make a losing bet."

"It's not my fault you enjoy creating lawful chaos wherever you walk," Itachi told him with a small smile. "Besides, you knew you were going to lose the moment you made that bet."

"Yeah, but I thought it was because Sakura-chan has Sasuke wrapped around her finger," He pouted, before glancing at her. "Did you have Sasuke wrapped around your finger in your old timeline? Because it sounds like he was a little prick but was still had a soft spot for you."

Sakura blushed furiously, her eyes growing wide at his words. "Shisui-nii-chan, is that really your question?"

Shisui shrugged. "Just need to know what I'm dealing with when I make bets with you."

"Sasuke-kun and I had a very. . . complicated relationship in my old life," Sakura said after a few beats. "I do know he never wanted to hurt me. And that he considered me one of his precious people. Sorta the same in this time, wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh, you're good, imouto," Shisui told her with a shake of his head. He gently poked her cheek and then looked to Itachi. "Have you been giving her lessens about avoiding the actual question by answering with known truths? Because if so, that's unfair."

"What's unfair is you badgering about an old time line," Itachi retorted with an innocent smile, ignoring when Shisui cursed his existence. "We shouldn't know too much about the past timeline, it's dangerous enough for us to have confirmed our suspicions. We only did because we were unsure how much had changed."

"And to know if last night was a repeat or something new," Sakura finished for him, wincing as another stab of pain shot through her mind.

"Can you heal that?" Shisui asked in a concerned tone, resting his hand on her shoulder blade and looked at Itachi. "Should we get someone to heal it? She shouldn't be going into the Chūnin Exams with a brain injury."

"No one at the hospital, right now, is at a caliber that I trust to heal my brain," Sakura denied immediately. "It's only a mild concussion. It should be healed within two weeks. Until then, I can take pain killers."

"You were a top of the top medic, huh?" Shisui inquired, raising an eyebrow when Itachi gave him a look. "C'mon, Tachi."

"Sakura-chan, do not answer Shisui," Itachi sighed. "He'll just make a bet with someone about it."

"I wanted to make a bet with Fugaku-san," Shisui admitted, a smug expression forming on his features. "He's already asked about it and we both know why, so really, what's the harm?"

"Shisui, you are one of the most just shinobis in the world and you wish to participate in a bet you know you'll win," Itachi responded in a disappointed tone. "Doesn't this contradict your morals?"

Shisui snorted. "It's called supporting our dear Sakura-chan."

"Where are the boys?" Sakura asked suddenly, becoming aware of their absence as she was brought back into the reality of this life.

"Shit, Itachi-"

"I'll go collect them from the safe room," Itachi told them, not bothering to stand up before he disappeared from the room.

"You guys forgot to get them earlier," Sakura inferred raised an eyebrow. Shisui took a strand of her hair and tossed it toward her face before leaning back in his chair.

"We were sort of preoccupied with the whole attack earlier," Shisui replied with a shrug. "And after Fugaku-san had everything under control, we knew we had to talk to you without idiot 1 and 2 bulldozing their way into the room."

"And here I thought you were here because you cared Shisui-nii-chan," Sakura teased, only for an abrupt cloud of smoke to appear in the room. Upon seeing her boys, she slumped back into the inclined bed.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura winced at the loud volume, her eyes squeezing shut when she heard a smack.

"Itachi said she has a concussion, dobe. That means no loud noises."

"Hehe, sorry, Sakura-chan."

Shisui got up, and pressed a light kiss on the top of her head. "Happy birthday, imouto. Next year, let's not start with a mess like this."

Sakura smiled widely at him. "That's the plan."

Shisui patted the heads of her two teammates before he vanished from sight.

Sasuke was scowling-- while Naruto made it a point to squeeze himself onto the hospital bed with her-- and his grimace only deepened when he took Shisui's old spot.

"Are you okay?" She asked him as Naruto made himself comfy. She didn't have the energy or heart to tell him to get off. Honestly, having Naruto right by her side was even more comforting in this life. Maybe it was because she knew what it felt like to have lost him.

Sasuke gave her a hard look. "You're the one in a hospital bed."

"It's just a concussion," She said softly. "They probably admitted me to ensure I didn't fall into a coma. I'm in the clear of that risk by now."

"Is that why you're always telling me not to go to sleep when I hit my head really hard?" Naruto asked her, propping his chin on her shoulder.

"Yep," She confirmed with a small smile. "As much as I like the quiet sometimes, we can't have you falling into a coma. You're thick headed but even you aren't invincible."

Sasuke snorted from her side when Naruto pouted.

"Well, you shouldn't worry about us," Sasuke assured her, his amusement turning into a seriousness. "What did that masked guy say to you?"

"You didn't hear?" She asked, more for her anxiety's sake than anything. When he shook his head, she had to stop herself from letting out a sigh of relief. "He said. . . He said it was good for me not to be an Uchiha."

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm guessing that's because the real target of last night was, uhm, your clan," Sakura explained, looking down when Naruto decided her shoulder was an amazing place to rest his head. "Didn't get much sleep, huh?"

"Nope," Naruto replied lazily, taking the fact that she hadn't punched him to the other side of the room as a signal that he could drape his arm over her blanketed stomach and doze off.

"Idiot," She whispered as her best friend promptly fell asleep next to her.

"I'm going to murder him," Sasuke announced quietly, glaring at Naruto's sleeping figure. "You should be resting."

"I did rest; now I'm thankful that neither of you are hurt," Sakura told him in a low voice.

Sasuke looked at her, his glare dissipating but anger mixed with worry lingered in his stare. "I told you to stay close."

"I--I tried to," Sakura responded, the shakiness in her voice returning as she remembered Obito. "When the wall got blown up, I was disoriented and then, and then I felt that man's chakra. It petrified me, Sasuke-kun. And when he spoke to me, I, uh, I just froze."

"We can't freeze when an enemy is close," Sasuke stated, his voice cold to cover up the way his eyes softened against his will. "Shisui won't always be there to save you."

Sakura cracked a grin, sensing Sasuke's anger wasn't exactly towards her for freezing up. "Probably not, but that's why I got you, right? And my little lap-fox, here. We're Team 7, Sasuke-kun. We have each other's backs. Always."

Sasuke didn't say anything for a few moments, carefully looking between Naruto's sleeping figure and her comforting smile.

"We have to get stronger."

Sakura sighed. "I know, Sasuke-kun, but let's take today to reassemble, okay?"

He gave her a reluctant nod and reached over to take a piece of her hair into his hands. She distantly heard the beeps in the background grow closer together.

"Some of your hair got burned," He pointed out and let it drop before his thumb wiped something off her cheek. She flushed immediately at the gentle contact. "And you had some ash on your cheek. Don't spoil him too much; he'll get comfortable when he shouldn't. And uh, happy birthday."

He stood up from his spot, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I have to check in with my father. If you get too handsy, dobe, I'll make sure you never wake up."

"Tell your mother and father I'm glad they're safe," Sakura requested. Sasuke nodded, giving her one last glance over before he disappeared.

"Sakura-chan, go to bed," Naruto mumbled into her shirt. "I can hear your heart racing."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure," She fumbled with her words, and it took a minute or two for the heat to fade from her cheeks. She let herself relax next to Naruto.

"Oh and Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah, Naruto?"

"Happy birthday."


"So she's okay?" His mother was asking when he reappeared in his family home. It looked like Shisui and Itachi were filling her in; they were all seated at the table. "I'm so happy to hear that. I got worried when you didn't take her to the safe room, Shisui."

"She passed out as soon as I got to her," His cousin explained, crossing his arms as he glanced at Itachi. "Honestly, I'm surprised that a concussion was the extent of her injuries. We thought the worst when we heard Sasuke scream her name."

"She wasn't moving," Sasuke defended, leaning against the doorframe. "And that freak noticed her. Do we have any leads on him?"

"Your father is speaking to the Hokage now," His mother told him, gesturing for him to sit down next to her. He did as soon as he took his shoes off. "The entire situation must be. . . dealt with great care."

"We know it was an attack on us specifically," Sasuke inferred, scowling when his mother fussed over some rubble still stuck in his hair. "Mom."

"I missed it earlier!" She quickly said, continuing despite his growing frown. "But there will be a clan meeting tonight. It's mandatory. For everyone."

Sasuke glanced at his brother, whose expression was unreadable. Shisui leaned over and whispered something into Itachi's ear. His brother shook his head.

"What is it?" Sasuke frowned, drawing the two back from their little conversation.

"Just a few adult things," Shisui answered with a wink. Sasuke repressed the urge to throw the cracked cup on the table at his cousin. "I'm surprised you came back so quickly. Figured you'd want to stay with Sakura-chan until we forced you to come back."

"The dobe's latched onto her," Sasuke rolled his eyes, well aware of the growing smile on his mother's features. "And Sakura needs her rest. I wanted to check in before I went back."

"Oh, so you're going back?" His mother asked him, pushing herself up and going to the closet. "Do you mind bringing these? We never got to give them to Sakura-chan last night and with everything going on, I'm not sure we'll see her before the day ends."

She pulled out a few wrapped gifts and made sure they were in good condition before holding them out to him. They stood like that for a few moments, with Sasuke looking at the gifts with a raised eyebrow.

"If he's not going to, I'll do it," Shisui offered, only to grin when Sasuke scowled and took the presents from his mother.

"I've got it," Sasuke said firmly, glaring at his cousin with a sort of warning even he couldn't explain, before heading to his room to clean himself up.

He showered and hoped to whatever powers were above that he got all of the rubble out of his hair. Because, while he loved his mother immensely and would never deny her when she decided he needed to be babied, he didn't want to provide her with more opportunities than necessary.

He was getting ready to leave, gifts gathered on his desk, when a knock sounded through his room. He called for them to come in.

"Oi, squirt," Shisui greeted playfully. "Tell Sakura-chan to make sure her scans are in order. The nurses said she would be getting a few tests done today and it's a good chance for her to learn a few things."

"Train me," Sasuke replied, as though he cousin hadn't spoken.

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "What do you think I've been doing once a week for the past five years?"

"No," Sasuke shook his head. "I mean, train me. Not just training sessions."

Shisui blinked a few times before responding. "I thought you wanted Tachi to train you."

"He's always too busy with the ANBU," Sasuke replied bitterly and straightened his posture as he looked at his cousin. "And I want to learn from you."

Shisui's expression grew mischievous. "This doesn't, by any chance, have anything to do with me getting to Sakura-chan before you had the chance to last night, right?"

"I was too slow," Sasuke said tightly, his fists clenching at his side as the feelings from last night remained a bitter taste on his tongues "Too weak. I've been spoiled up until now. With everyone always there to look out for me, I've had someone else to make sure I didn't get myself killed because I'm inexperienced. That treatment ends now. I want to be stronger. And you're the best in the clan. So train me."

An impressed grin crept onto Shisui's face. "You don't have to flatter me so much. I'll take you on as an apprentice. Tomorrow, first light."

Sasuke nodded, feeling incredibly pleased with himself when Shisui waved.

"Make sure you got those gifts to Sakura-chan or Auntie Mikoto will have your head."