"I miss Sakura-chan already," Naruto pouted, throwing a few planks down onto the ground. He cracked his neck and placed his arms behind his head. "Your brooding is contagious. I need someone who actually has a sense of humor around here-- who else will laugh at my jokes?"

"I laugh," Sasuke responded in a dry tone, setting his own planks on the ground. "It just happens to be at your utter idiocy."

"Sakura-chan would defend me right about now," Naruto pointed out, attempting to kick Sasuke's shins. He easily evaded and glared at the blonde before the idiot groaned.

"Even Auntie Mikoto is sad," Naruto groaned. "I hate seeing her upset."

"Her oldest son, practically adopted other son, and future daughter-in-law are away," Sasuke told him in a clipped tone. "Of course she's sad."

Sasuke didn't feel the need to point out that his father is half blind, especially since they were in public. No one needed to know, not right now. Once the rumors spread, his father will become a target. Not only to those who still distrust the Uchiha, but also their enemies outside the borders of Konoha.

Sasuke shook his head and started setting up the blanks, oblivious to the way the blonde had stilled and gone silent. Actually, he noticed the silence after a minute or so and turned to his friend in surprise.

"Is that actually official?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in confusion at first but then he took in the blonde's actual expression. It was a mix of emotions, much too easy to read for someone who wanted to become Hokage. Naruto had a terrible poker face.

He didn't look distraught, but there was a level of panic in his eyes that Sasuke couldn't ignore. And while annoyance and playful anger were usual reactions Naruto had, there was a deeper kind of anger that Sasuke has only witnessed in the battle.

He abandoned the planks and stood straight to face his best friend.

"I haven't proposed, if that's what you're asking," Sasuke stated with a slight edge in his words. "But. . . The clan council isn't pulling her away from the hospital for nothing, either."

"But that's what you've decided?"

Sasuke frowned, more at the thought that Naruto wouldn't be okay with this after all.

"You're just going to sign her away to a marriage without actually dating her first?" Naruto continued, his fists curled into a ball at his sides. "Sakura-chan," He paused, taking a breath as though to control his anger. "Sakura-chan deserves everything, Sasuke. She deserves to go on dates. She deserves to live her life the way she wants to, not the way your clan council wants her to."

"She also deserves to be happy," Sasuke added in a clipped tone. "I'm not just deciding for her. She isn't some rash choice I made because the council is pressuring me to get married younger than I'd like. I'm choosing Sakura because she's actually the person I'd like to be with for the rest of my life."

"Have you told her that?" Naruto questioned, his voice losing some of that anger it previously held.

Sasuke pauses. He thinks back on everything that happened recently. And, with reluctance, he sees where Naruto is coming from.

"She understands," Sasuke says, remembering that conversation that feels so long ago. "Sakura understands a lot of things about everything going on. More than either of us give her credit for, actually."

"You're talking about the fact that Sakura-chan isn't just Sakura-chan, right?"

Sasuke couldn't help how his eyes widened at his best friend's words. He almost stuttered in his shock. He looked around to see if anyone was in the area, and they were in luck-- no one was around.

"What?"

"You know, the whole dual chakra signatures thing?" Naruto went on, like he wasn't talking about something Sasuke knew for a fact Naruto wasn't supposed to be aware of. "When I'm in Sage Mode, I can sense other chakra signatures; Sakura-chan has two. It's hard to explain, ya know? Like they're both Sakura-chan, but one just feels-- oh, how do I put it?-- older? More mature? Dad said that's a result of an ancient Uchiha jutsu."

Sasuke is absolutely reeling, but the fact that the deceased Hokage knows something private concerns him enough to focus. "How did your dead father know about that jutsu?"

"My dad was Hokage," Naruto shrugged. "Guess a perk of being Hokage is knowing clan secrets. I don't know. But I do know Sakura-chan isn't just Sakura-chan. She's like two versions mashed together in one chakra signature and it's hard to see that separation between the two normally. I only saw it because Sage Mode is super cool and powerful."

"She doesn't know you know," Sasuke said, blinking a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating or something.

It took multiple hints from his father and brother before Sasuke put it all together. And here was Naruto, the village idiot, casually stating something that's confused Sasuke for years.

He was almost tempted to put a hand on his forehead, but that would show the blonde how shocked he was.

"Know what?" Naruto asked, now looking confused. "Wait, do you know what that jutsu does?"

"You know she has two chakra signatures, both of them hers with one more mature," Sasuke started in disbelief, as he realized that the Fourth Hokage didn't elaborate on the actual jutsu. "And you still haven't figured it out?"

"No," Naruto said in a questioning tone. "I thought that since it was just Sakura, it wasn't a big deal. If it was Sakura with a different character signature over hers, then I would be worried. Should I be worried?"

"You're an absolute moron," Sasuke said, letting out of huff. "I can't believe I almost thought you were smart, for a moment."

"Hey, I am smart!" Naruto defended immediately. "So what does it mean?"

Sasuke glanced around them once more. He still didn't see anyone, but this wasn't the place for this conversation, nor was he the one Naruto should be having it with.

"Sakura will explain if you ask her," Sasuke said after a few moments. He couldn't pick up on chakra signatures the way Sakura, Itachi, and Shisui could. So, he couldn't say for certain if anyone was listening in on them.

He sighed. "Let's just get this building frame done."

The two worked together in finishing the building, before they heard a shriek pierce the air. Immediately, the two snapped to attention and jumped onto the nearest stable rooftop to see if they could spot the problem.

They hear the scream again, this time in an area they can both pinpoint with relative ease. They jump across the rooftops, coming to a stop and gaping at the scene before them.

It's a bit unsettling for them both, when they see Asuma standing in the middle of the street, backing up from a pair of women across from him.

Sasuke sees the long blonde hair and recognizes Ino; Naruto breathes out the name of the older women Ino is holding.

"Kurenai-sensei," Naruto whispers, then he steels his gaze and looks at Sasuke. "Get Shikamaru and Choji. I'll handle this until they get here."

"Sakura-san!" A voice called out. "It's good to see you."

She smiled at the owner of the voice and then to the other two members of the Suna party. "Kankuro, it's nice to see you up and about. And a pleasure as always to see you two as well."

"You don't need to be formal with me," Temari told her with a grin. "I'm in Konoha far too often for that. Gaara, though? Maybe for appearances."

"I saw that they elected you," Gaara said to Itachi, ignoring both his siblings and held out a hand. "I was concerned when I heard Tsunade was out of commission for the time being. I hope my people were of some help to you during the reconstruction, before I had to pull them back home."

Itachi smiled at the Kazekage. "It was immensely appreciated. You have wonderful construction teams."

Someone cleared their throat at the other end of the room. "The meeting will be taking place in here. Please take your seat, so we all might be involved in the conversation."

They watched the man disappear into the room, and it was then that Shisui elbowed her side. "Warm welcome."

"He's right," Itachi said calmly. "Our villages may have an alliance, but we do not with the others. It would be disrespectful to show a sense of friendship with one another in this setting. We're here solely on behalf of our village, not our individual alliances."

"I see why you were chosen," Gaara commented, before making his way toward the chamber, with Kankuro and Temari flanking his sides.

Shisui and Sakura did the same with Itachi, and it wasn't long before he was seated among the rest of the kages.

"Well, if I didn't believe it before, it's hard to deny now," The Mizukage said, breaking the silence. "It's terrible to think Tsunade would leave me here with a bunch of men."

The man in blue leaned down, whispering something into the Mizukage's ear. Her eye twitched, but she didn't bother lowering her voice when she responded. "Now, Ao, I would hope you understand that everyone here knows of the Uchiha clan, especially those with superb abilities. The fact that the Leaf Village has appointed the previous heir as Hokage is a sign that they have also grown since the last war. We are here to propose a truce, not start a war based on past fears."

"Tsunade being defeated by a member of the Akatsuki is concerning, however," The Tsuchikage said, then gave a pointed look towards Gaara. "Not to mention the attack on the Kazekage a few months ago. It tells us that their members are Kage level and as previous members of our villages, they know secrets and could share them easily with other members."

"Fortunately, the majority of the Akatsuki members have been killed," Itachi said in a calm voice. "Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, Pain, and Kisame were taken out over numerous missions the Leaf has held over the past year. According to Uzumaki Naruto, Konan left the organization after Pain died."

"And are we supposed to trust that?" The Raikage challenged. "That's the Kyuubi brat, isn't it? I've heard of his character before."

"Naruto is not someone who will purposefully deceive someone," Gaara told the group. "Though, to use this as a tangent, we do have the remaining Jinchūriki to think about. As noted before, I was attacked and killed in my attempt to save my village from any lasting damage. It was only the sacrifice of one of the village elders that allowed me to be here with you today."

"Bee is an idiot, but he's the strongest Jinchūriki there is," The Raikage said with a proud tone, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "He's a valuable asset on the battlefield, but that's also handing him over on a silver platter. I'm sure you feel the same, Hokage."

With the rooms eyes on Itachi, he sighed. "Naruto will not like being hidden away."

"Does it matter if he likes it?" The Mizukage asked, actually looking curious. "He'll be alive."

"He'll find a way to join us, especially since this battle against the remaining Akatsuki members is about him," Itachi answered, then looked at Sakura. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering towards Shisui before she looked back at Itachi and nodded.

"Speaking of the battle, there is information we have access to that can decide all of our fates, whether it means early victory or sure failure," Itachi said slowly, watching as each of the Kage's sat forwards and narrowed their eyes.

"What sort of sneaky things has the Leaf been doing?" The Tsuchikage asked.

"Perhaps it is better if Sakura-chan explains," Itachi nodded towards her and she took a deep breath.

She knew this would happen, ever since they spoke about it. And she knew it would be impossible for her to hide her own involvement, but she hoped she could spin the story enough to not allow any suspicion fall onto the Uchiha clan. She didn't need them to have yet another target on their back.

"Shisui, if you could," She gestures to the room and he nodded, the kunai and seals flying from his hand and landing on the wall around them before anyone could react. Each of the Kage companions moved to guard their leader, but when the cloak of chakra fell around the room, their weapons dropped from their offensive positions.

"I've lived this life before," Sakura started, deciding to rip off the bandaid. Before anyone could refute her claim, she continued. "I was fortunate enough to have access to a jutsu left in the rubble of one of the villages, which send me back in time ten years. I went through this upcoming war. We do not win."

This caused an immediate uproar: shouts of disbelief, anger, and sheer doubt filled the area. Somehow, when Itachi held up a hand, the voices quoted enough for him to speak.

"Our intention in revealing this information is not to deceive you," Itachi said. "It is merely to help us win this battle. As you may have heard from Tsunade-sama, the remaining members of the Akatsuki are not to be taken lightly. Zetsu and Uchiha Obito are still very much alive and pose a great threat to every nation. We have evidence to believe Orochimaru has rejoined the cause, as well as the entirety of the Hidden Sound Village."

"What kind of jutsu lets you travel in time?" Gaara asked, looking directly at Sakura.

"A forbidden one," She said in a low voice. "One I hope never has to be used again. I know you all have your doubts and probably assume that I'm saying this merely to warp the situation into the Leaf's favor. By some extent, you're correct. But I'm also here because I've seen the Allied Shinobi Force, an army made up of every Great Village. I care as much for your survival as my own village's."

"Preposterous!" The Tsuchikage yelled, banging his hand onto the table. "You cannot expect us to believe such lies!"

"If you hold any doubt about her claim of living this life before," Shisui began, looking at each of the Kage. "Look at her chakra structure. You'll find the irregularities that only make sense with what Sakura-chan is saying."

With all eyes on her now, she felt the urge to shift on her feet and avoid their stares. But she took a breath and stood still, waiting while they all took Shisui's words to heard and studied her like she was a mere lab experiment.

"Well, that's interesting," The Mizukage commented with a grin. "What have you changed, my dear?"

Sakura's eyes flitted towards the Suna party before she answered. "A few things, but not too much. There were some events far too important to change, even if I had to endure the loss of people I cared for in the process."

Chiyo's ridiculous laugh rang in her head, like the old women was cackling at the fact that she was filled to the brim with nerves. Sandaime's last speech to the crowd-filled arena for their Chūnin exams echoed in her thoughts as well. Shikamaru and Naruto's grief over the loss of their respective sensei. The Uchiha Police massacre and the weight that put on the head family.

"Regardless, we are at a point where I can explain Obito's intentions," Sakura continued, looking at the ceiling above them. "To a point, that is. I must warn you all that I have changed just enough for his intentions to have changed a bit. This information, should we solely act on it, could prove just as detrimental as it can be beneficial. We should continue to act on the information we have gathered in this life."

"Following the guidance of a mere teenager," The Tsuchikage grumbled. "Go on, girl. We'll decide if your lies hold any valuable information."

Sakura sucked in a breath, but she did explain Obito's intentions. How the Tailed-Beasts, when put together, created the Juubi and the eternal slumber everyone was inevitably put in. She told them about the reanimated comrades she had to fight and how Obito, while their current enemy, disappeared a day into the war and how it was Madara that spelled the end to so many lives, including those that say in this room.

"So, if what you're saying is true," The Raikage said after a few moments of silence. "We should be stopping the Reanimation Jutsu if that's still going to be utilized. That's fine by me. My people should not have to endure such a fate."

"Do you really expect us to believe this?" The Tsuchikage questioned harshly, standing up in his chair to lean his entire body onto the table. "These claims can merely be a way for the Leaf to take over the rest of the Great Nations. While we are too distracted with the information she gave us, we may be uprooted from the inside. These attacks provide her with someone to blame as well. You cannot expect us to take your words as truth."

Sakura bowed her head down. "I merely wish to help everyone. There will be a war and I have seen us lose in my original time. I do not wish for that to happen again."

"I imagine none of you will be surprised when I ask that the source of the information told to you today be known only to those in this room," Itachi requested, earning an immediate nod from Gaara.

"I have known Sakura for some time now," Gaara said slowly, looking at the Tsuchikage. "She is Tsunade's apprentice and a valued ally of Suna. While the idea itself seems impossible, we are all aware of the feats chakra can preform. So, really, this is not as extreme as we might think it to be. This information benefits the rest of us more then the Leaf; we now know there's someone capable of erasing our reality and starting anew. They've painted a target on their backs for the entirety of the shinobi world. I elect we keep her warnings in mind, but prepare with the information we know for a fact."

The Mizukage hummed, keeping a watchful eye on Sakura.

"I don't sense any ill-will," Ao said at the Mizukage's side. "Chakra tends to emit the persons innermost emotions. All I sense is anxiety."

Sakura couldn't help the way her features scrunched together in annoyance. Of course she was anxious, each of the Kage were analyzing her on the spot. And for this meeting, well, it hadn't gone well in her old life.

"We will keep your secret, Leaf," The Mizukage decided. "But know that your past transgressions are not automatically forgiven."

"Thank you," Itachi said, bowing his head down a bit. He started to say something else, probably something about the past history between the two villages before the room shook around them and the chakra blanket flickered and dissipated mere seconds later.

"Oh no," Sakura whispered, taking a step closer to Itachi, who stood up and was watching the ceiling above them.

"That's gotten be him," Shisui said in a low voice. Then, when he continued, he raised it so everyone could hear. "Uchiha Obito has the Mangekyou Sharingan. Do not look into his eyes, nor should you let yourself become a focus for him."

"Warnings for Obito but not for me?" A foreign voice asked, sounding rather hurt. "And to think I've been around much longer than he has. The young really don't respect their elders anymore, huh?"

What looked that a ginormous Venus flytrap began to grow out of the floor, a black and white figure encased in the green parts. Sakura blinked a few times before she recognized the thing as Zetsu, the odd creature that could transform into anyone if it had a taste of their chakra. She almost didn't realize, given that she fought only the White Zetsu in her old life.

"Where, oh, where," Zetsu sang, looking around dramatically before his eyes landed on her. "There's the pink one! Obito, I found her!"

Sakura felt her heart race when not only everyone in the room, but also the freak in the middle zeroed in on her. In her last life, Danzō had been the target at this meeting. In this one, it was her.

Sakura felt the signature before he appeared, and it took everything in her not to take a step back. She berated herself for feeling so scared, but Obito has always been a fear she couldn't seem to shake. In his black cloak, sans the orange mask, Obito appeared from the floor.

"That was a handy seal you had there, cousin," Obito praised, looking towards Shisui. His scarred side was now visible to everyone and, while she had seen it a few times before Obito and Kakashi disappeared, it was still shocking to her. "Too bad it doesn't hold for too long if you know how to counteract it."

"If you're here to declare war, then get on with it," The Raikage snarled, clearly struggling to hold himself back from taking on the enemy.

"Oh, the war?" Obito repeated, looking thoughtful for a moment before he shrugged. "Sure, let's declare war. I officially declare war on all five Great Nations. Though," He paused, looking directly towards her, Itachi, and Shisui. "That's not the main reason why I came here."

Sakura felt a shiver down her spine, when his stare landed on her. And then, all she could see was a tan wall in front of her, one made up of sand particles.

"Gaara-san!" Sakura yelled, looking towards Temari, who she could still see. She could distantly hear Gaara's voice, but not the words he was saying.

"You three need to leave," Temari told her, looking forwards, presumably towards the rest of the room. She unhooked her fan and cracked it open. "It's obvious the Leaf is his target here; we'll keep him busy."

"I do hope your samurai can hold off the entirety of the Sound Village's population," Obito said, loud enough that she could hear it through the sand. "And that the rest of you can handle Zetsu. Otherwise, I won't have anyone to declare war on."

Shisui stepped behind both her and Itachi, placing a hand on each of their shoulder's. "She's right. Obito is probably after you, imouto. We need to extract you both from this place before he can get his hands on either of you."

There were shouts of frustrations, and suddenly the sand behind them shot out, towards the trio. It didn't hit any of them, but instead went right past their figures and towards the wall behind them.

That's when Sakura felt it; the menacing chakra that petrified her as a girl in this life. The man that spelled out the end for this world-- the one that resurrected Madara, who actually ended the world as Sakura knew it.

It was right behind them.

Instinctively, Sakura stepped in front of Itachi, and Shisui took a place right in front of her. The sand went right through Obito, who stood maybe three feet from them.

"Time to go," He said, grinning as his eyes flashed red.

Shisui's arm swung backwards, reaching past but still touching her shoulder and suddenly, the world tilted until their surrounding were much different. They were no longer in the Kage chamber, but rather outside the building and in the middle of the travel path.

Shisui turned around, looking at them both as if he expected them to be injured in some way. He let out a small breath of relief before he looked back towards the building.

"Shit," He cursed, his eyes flickered from black to red. "We aren't alone."

Sakura picked up on the fragments of chakra all around, scattered yet strategically placed in a way that any move around them would be hindered by a blast. She looked to her left, and saw with wide eyes a white creature scuttling towards their group.

"Deidara," Sakura breathed out before a hand placed itself on her shoulder and their surroundings changed once again.

Sakura never thought she'd see the day when both Shisui and Itachi would be forced to run from a fight, but it was here. Shisui had to keep her out of Obito's sight line and Itachi from making any unnecessary moves. The only smart thing to do was to run. But when she noticed that there were still countless amounts of explosive clay creatures surrounding them, she feared the worst outcome.

"Itachi," Sakura said in a breathless voice. "No matter what, Naruto has to become a perfect Jinchūriki. He needs to work with Kurama, until he can access his Nine-Tails Mode. When we go to war, that is vital."

"Sakura-chan, you say that like you won't be around to guide him yourself," Itachi said in a low voice. The two older Uchiha looked at her with wide eyes.

They all sensed the chakra signature above, one muddled yet very much present.

"Lock down my memories," Sakura demanded, her hard stare on Shisui. He opened his month to say something, perhaps a reassurance that they'd all be on their way home, but then his lips shut themselves and fell into a thin line.

He nodded, closing his eyes for a moment before they reopened, his Mangekyo Sharingan blazing. Shisui took ahold of her shoulders and stood right in front of her, leaning down to stare directly into her eyes. She didn't know why there were tears welling, nor why they started to stream down her face at that moment.

But then, but then she saw her Sasuke and Naruto. She saw their stupid dumb rivalry, their Chūnin exams, and that dreadful moment in Orochimaru's blown up hideout. She saw them grown up after years apart and then when they were altogether during the war again.

She saw Naruto's bright blue eyes, slowly dulling in color as the life left him. And Sasuke's lighter onyx eyes, which once belonged to Itachi, with red trailing down his cheeks from the sockets as he smiled for the last time.

And then, nothing.

She blinked a few times, swaying on her feet as the world around her came back to her.

"What's going on?" She asked, placing a hand on her forehead. It fell to her side when two hands cupped her cheeks and a face peered at her with concern.

"Imouto, are you okay?"

"Huh?" She tilted her head, before her instincts picked up on the foreign chakra all around her. "Who's surrounding us?"

Shisui seemed reluctant to let her go, but his hands dropped from her face and he looked upwards. "Deidara: explosive bomb expert. I'm assuming he's a reanimation, since Sasuke took care of him over a month ago."

"I suppose Obito decided to get the ball rolling early," Itachi commented, pointing to their right. "There's another hiding over there."

With Shisui focusing on the opponent in the sky, Sakura looked towards the trees. She frowned, before she felt a strand of chakra shoot straight towards her.

She had a kunai out within a second, barely having the time to cut the strand before it latched itself onto her. It fell limp on the ground, but she didn't have any time to analyze what had happened before four more shot themselves towards her. She couldn't simply jump out of the way, both Itachi and Shisui were behind her. And if she knew this opponent, he'd have no issue taking either of them.

"It's just like you to remain hidden, Sasori," Sakura called out, changing her stance to an offensive one.

"Sakura-chan," Itachi said softly. "Perhaps this isn't the time to bait our enemies."

"Oh, but he deserves the taunting," A new voice said, one that Sakura recognized immediately. Her eyes welled with tears as she looked towards the old women that come out onto the clearing. "He did nothing but bait our dear Sakura-chan during their first battle."

"Two legendary shinobi cornered," Another voice said, one filled with amusement and scorn. "To think the Uchiha's have fallen so far if this is their finest."

Sakura looked up, finding the man behind the police station massacre and the interruption at the Kage summit. Part of her wanted to yell that using the Shunshin in a forest clearly littered with explosives wasn't smart, especially since none of them could sense where the bugs hadn't crawled. But her refuted claims would be nothing but noise in this situation. Useless.

So she kept her mouth shut, not willing to let this vile man rile her up.

Just then, Shisui moves to throw kunai at some target Sakura can't see. And it's then that she feels a chakra strand attach to her arm. Before she can even react and cut the string herself, Itachi has severed it, standing in front of her like that'll block anymore attacks sent her way.

Sakura's brain feels fuzzier than it should, which means she's solely relying on her instincts at this point to keep her from being tugged away.

Her instincts can't stop whatever is happening then, a feeling of being sucked into something above her. She sees both Uchiha's whirl towards her when she lets out a gasp and hears Shisui curse.

"Stay with Itachi-nii!" She yelled, hoping her words weren't muted by whatever jutsu was sucking her in. When Shisui starts for her anyway, she shoves him back and out of the jutsu's range.

And then, she's enveloped in whirling darkness before her brain can't seem to handle the change. She can't remember anything beyond that.