51. Ah! It's halfway through the holidays… But another chapter done. Longer than usual, because I couldn't find a better place to stop it. Sometimes the places I write to surprises me. This chapter is a bit of a mix of a sense of unease since, wow best laid plans of mice and men.

Thanks also to Konscience for dropping into my inbox, pleasant surprise when I came to update.


"What shall our plan be, Inoichi-sama?" Sakura asks curiously, wondering if he is thinking of a better way to use the two Kumo-nin that they have.

"We'll be mindwalking them together. Sakura-sama will be able to note down the medical information that they are privy to, then we'll report to Tsunade-sama on the seals and their purpose being in Konoha. After that, I'll hand them off to Ibiki – ah, you might know him as your Chunin written test invigilator?"

The pink-haired teen takes a side glance at him "Why do we torture if we can mind walk them?" and Inoichi smiles as he follows her train of thought.

"Efficiency, Sakura-chan. Even if the flow of time in the mindscape is different, you have to filter through a huge volume of time to find the information you want. Other techniques," and he gestures at the door labelled ominously 'Interrogation Room 1', "are less time-intensive."

As the door clicks open, the sound of a person's sobbing slithers out into the corridor, for a moment oppressing her and making it difficult to breathe. Sobbing, in that tenor, reminds her always of children.

"And of course, after you get them to confess, someone can analyse his most recent memories, follow his memory trail and verify just that. Again, saving us time."

She nods, contemplatively, "Do you think we can copy the seal in their mind?" And Inoichi-sama laughs, "I wouldn't trust my copying skills, but certainly we could try."

"Then why not bring someone familiar with seals in to mindwalk with you, rather than me, for an example?"

His hand pauses on another door handle in the corridor, then retracts to flip through his chart. "I'm afraid even if we do that, their memory of Uzumaki-kun confronting them will remain. Unless Sakura-sama is suggesting that we let them carry you out of our borders, they will know something is off."

"I'm sure you also have genjutsu experts in these halls. Since they've already gone through the trouble to kidnap me, shouldn't we show our guests some respect?"

Inoichi-sama closes his note case, before nodding, "So you would want us to destroy enough memories to start a new storyline."

Sakura laughs. "Yes, they're the best people that we could try the method on, they even delivered the seal to our doorstep for us to use."

He gestures for her to turn around, as they move away further away from the holding cells, "I'll get a barrier team member and a genjutsu expert for us then. We can brief Tsunade-sama."

"Time is of the essence, since a round trip to Kumo doesn't take that long, you know."

Inoichi smiles, "I'm sure Sakura-sama knows that better than I do."

She waves her hands casually, "I should do my best to make it believable, if not they might kill me enroute back."


Tsunade has to say, she quite likes this plan of Sakura's, which comes as somewhat of a surprise, since the young lady rarely cooks plans that she can wholeheartedly agree with.

"The copying of their mind seal is a good idea, a much better plan than sending their heads back to Kumo, even if that will hurt the Raikage the most. If we can successfully use the seal on them, even better. When they realise, then whatever research they have invested into this project will have been wasted."

Inoichi nods, "Then for the next hour, the barrier team will be monitored by one less person."

Ah, someone who knows seals.

"It's a pity Jiraiya is out. I think Kotetsu from the gate guards is the most familiar with seals, right?"

Naruto is waving at her, gesturing at himself, from behind Inoichi, Sakura and Kakashi and she pauses to stop the jinchuuriki's thoughts on their tracks. "We can't use Naruto for a mindwalk when we don't know what will happen to the Kyubi's consciousness."

She clicks her tongue. "Better than nothing. Inoichi, if it doesn't strain you too much, what about Kakashi? If he can utilise the Sharingan in the prisoner's mindscape, we can still have a photographic copy."

"As you wish, Tsunade-sama."

"I'll also handle the genjutsu, then, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi follows smoothly, smiling, his one eye not leaving the top of Sakura's head.

The Lady Hokage arches an eyebrow. "Very well. Make sure you stick to the storyline that we have planned."

"My cute student's life is at stake in this plan, of course I would," he says easily but his tone carrying that same weary chide.

Sakura never looks at him, almost as if she rejects the emotion he is sending her. Tsunade supposes this is what happens when children grow up to be rebellious – her independence of silence.

"Naruto will analyse the seal that Izumo copies. Inoichi and Kakashi will break the seal and search for the information that was blocked off. Naruto will apply the seal again, and Inoichi will go in to check that it was done precisely. If things are successful, Kakashi will cast the genjutsu and we will transport the captives with Sakura a distance away from Konoha."

"Will it be Tenzo-san on my trail?" Sakura asks, as Naruto pouts, though at least this time he knows that he can't volunteer.

"Yes, if the plan goes ahead, he is the only one who can stay undetected for the duration before the recovery team begins their pursuit."

"We'll definitely get you back, Sakura-chan," Naruto assures.

Sakura smiles, as she looks back at her teammates, "Don't catch them too fast, Naruto. Since I have to be inside Kumo for the plan to work."

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything to Sasuke. If not he might really get his brother and ruin the plan." Tsunade is slightly sceptical about that, since she's always thought Naruto was the impulsive one.

"Alright, then, Tenzo, stay with Sakura. Let's begin the operation to shake up Kumo."

Sakura does a little bow, yet one arm curved in front of her, the other folded behind her back. Another of the odd, if charming things the young lady with pink hair does.

Her eyes are bright, as if she has found something curious. A strange child, excited to be sent into the enemy's territory.

"I will send word if we will send Sakura off. But I'm sure Naruto is confident that he can decipher the seal."

Jiraiya's protégé nods, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "You can leave it to me, baa-chan." She's almost smiling fondly, he's such a brat but loveable all the same.

"Right, I'll get them to clear the path towards Kumo. I suppose since they were carrying drugs they might even have had a handler."


A dull headache greets her when she wakes up, but at least there isn't the sapping feeling of a poison crawling around in her system like the previous time.

Sakura gets up slowly, stretching out her shoulders that almost feel like she hasn't used them in a month.

You're awake, little one. And there's a voice in her head, which all things considered is bizarre – unless it's related to the lost chunk of memories.

There is no way that she's still a child on her first merchant trip to Kumo, though she definitely is in the Village Hidden in the Clouds. She's isn't small enough to be the child, and her chakra, thrumming right here, is so well controlled compared to the chakra she used on Tenkawa-san.

Without me, you wouldn't be able to make this rational analysis. She supposes that's about right – if they didn't think the way they do, then Kumo's interests would definitely be served.

"Ah, I'm not you, Sakura-chan. You don't remember me?"

Sakura carefully gets off the bed, testing out her too-long legs, that don't fit her mental memory, but her muscle memory assures her that she can stand.

"No, I don't think I do… when did we first meet?"

The voice makes a sound of amusement. "I suppose even I did not react fast enough. Yes, there's no way for you to remember me when they have sealed your memories, but surely you can remember that I am not an enemy."

"I wouldn't know that by feeling, but you're helping us right now."

"You don't have to speak aloud, and that'll be incredibly inconvenient once your captors find you have woken up, don't you think?"

She makes her way towards the table in the corner, picking up her medical chart, full of the inaccuracies that would allow for this scam to be perpetrated.

What a flimsy scam, Sakura thinks, and the voice falls short of concurring, "For all you know, you aren't the first that they tried this on."

I don't think I know anyone else who fits this patient type, don't you think?

The voice laughs. "Think harder Sakura-chan. I did not get to see your entire life, but I'm sure you can remember at least the mother of your little brother."

The pink-haired girl (not a little girl, at the end of teenhood, no wait, the I before all of this, us, are…) frowns hard, trying to think. My little brother? Shika-chan – but I've never seen his mother, she's, she's…

The world turns sideways though the clipboard turns with her, scribbled under the notes as the reason for hospitalisation: chakra depletion induced coma (what even sort of 'coma' is that when there are chakra transfers?) intensive use of chakra and grief – see files on Kurotaki and Tenkawa.

Patients not even dignified their family names. Or something like it.


"Hmm, little Sakura-chan, are you awake again?"

She collapsed, but it appears it wasn't for long, since she's still lying on the floor, the clipboard with her medical chart clasped in her hands.

Meifu-sama, she greets the voice politely, I will need my chains, if you would please…

The voice chuckles as the hazy chakra manifests into the Lord of the Underworld, his mask with a full grin, his purple robe flaring and rippling like a ghost.

She gets up steadily, placing the clipboard back on the table and having a drink of water straight from the pitcher – it's stale.

Sakura casts her eye around her bed more carefully, looking for something that might play the role of the IV drip, trying to recall from the time Sasuke discovered the Uchihas that were kept on life support, before Danzo was killed.

"Ah, you are really awake this time. I must say, you were interesting even when younger."

I'm afraid you shouldn't expect a different level of maturity beyond this getting used to killing people thing. Years lived in different lives are not additive.

She gets the feeling that the deity is grinning at her. "If you say so. I look forward to seeing how you go about your plans now that they think they've blocked your memories."

Thank you, she offers, for interceding on our behalf.

The Lord has only sleeves for arms and no hands, but there's something resting ever so softly on her head. "Memories are a dangerous thing to tamper with. After all, since your body never came to this world, you can think of it as just your memories travelling. I can't let some fools destroy the world walker who crossed this planet, can I?"

Then his presence is dissolving and her chakra chains have returned, and she has to start moving.

To pretend to have lost the memories that the Kumo side tampered with, to wreak some havoc, but still come out diplomatically on top. To get in touch with Tenzo who must still be around, to reach back to the ones whom she loves. Her two objectives.

Of course, now if only she could get someone to tell her the date.

She walks out of the room, startling the nurse in a light blue uniform, who is rolling a cart down the corridor – a fresh pitcher of water and a tube feeding set up. Sakura cocks her head aside, greeting the nurse, "Have you been the one looking after me? How long have I been unconscious?"

The middle-aged nurse rushes over to her side, calling her like a child and fussing over her. They even sent her a harmless looking civilian nurse, "Haruno-chan, you're awake, it's been so long… How are you feeling?"

She pats the lady awkwardly, unused to this creature comfort, "I'm okay, thank you for your care all this while. But I have to go home – " what happened immediately after I got back from Kumo?

"Ah! Hinata-chan's present! Nurse-san, where are all my belongings, and where are the ninjas who came with me?"

The nurse covers her mouth almost in shock, "Haruno-chan… You don't remember what happened?"

Sakura, caught off guard by the lack of preparedness for them to go through with their whole scam, can only ask, aghast, "Hinata's present, did I lose it? I brought the food preservation seal just for that!"

"Oh no, Haruno-chan, please, don't worry. Whatever you've lost, we can replace – even your memory, it's all going to be okay…"

"My memory…" she makes a show of cradling her head, wondering if she's supposed to even be able to remember anything – then a hallucination actually wraps over her.

running, we are running through a forest, being chased. Who by? Who can they logically think it would be?

Genjutsu, she thinks, and there are people running down the corridor. Her chains lashing out trying to find the caster, overturning the cart like a child thrashes in the throes of a nightmare.

She breaks the illusion, ill at ease by the time she finds it and thinks effective. How very effective.

Sakura looks for the source of the genjutsu at the male and thinks ah, so I wonder if Naruto's seal and sensei's genjutsu held up on this man.

"What is the meaning of your genjutsu, shinobi-san," she says, recovering and helping to upright the cart as the nurse lady fusses over her and tells her not to worry.

She hurt the civilian nurse in this altercation, or somehow, something hurt her. Still the lady doesn't flinch as Sakura reaches out to heal her.

The male with platinum blond hair steps forward, hands raised in surrender, explaining, "I was afraid that you might hurt everyone around her, so I used a sleep-inducing genjutsu. I apologise if you were insulted, Haruno-sama."

"I think I'm not so worried about that. But I am looking for an explanation – first, what day is it today?"


Beginning with the date, a more realistic way for Kumo to hoodwink her emerges, since it doesn't need everyone one else to coordinate the date. Sakura really thinks that this method would have worked if Meifu-sama hadn't helped her with keeping her memories.

As she's learnt, the man, the genjutsu using sensor-type blond is called 'C', quite literally, the alphabet. Both he and Samui-san returned to Kumo without a hitch, and the story they're using is that they found her running away from her pursuers.

Since Samui recognised her, they opted to defend her and bring her back.

Sakura supposes that this means that the seal Naruto engineered was perfectly done, and that sensei did an actually terrific job with the false-memory-by-genjutsu method. It's great news for them, but not so much for the rest of the world, since then there's a race to restore memories?

Break seals? More memory modification?

"Samui-san," she says, and she almost relaxes when the lady approaches, the tension in her shoulder, unwinding.

And this lady bowing to her, "You've woken, Haruno-sama." Sakura nods, "Two weeks late, but, thank you for protecting me."

The Kumo-nin doesn't smile, Sakura doesn't think that she ever saw Samui smile, even when she, Omoi-san and Karui-san were guarding her.

Samui gently inclines her head, "We owe it to Raikage-sama who decided you would be a valuable addition to our ranks and allowed you to stay."

Ah, so this is how the brainwashing starts. Mm yes.

"It's been many years for you, but none for me. I don't remember much, after treating Tenkawa-san, I must say."

"That's okay, then or even now, your skills far exceed what we can achieve." There's a short pause, "I have a request to make of Haruno-sama," Samui says quietly, "privately, if you would hear me."

And everyone else scatters slowly, while Samui gently guides her to a treatment room down the hall, the door opening to a white room, curtains rippling in that wind, scripted, and cliché. But so perfect.

"Haruno-sama, please heal me," and Sakura realises, as she checks, that Samui-san's chakra flow is chopped up.

"This isn't what Tenkawa-san suffered from, who… hurt you, Samui-san?"

Samui-san apprises her with a cool look, almost lightly frowning, before she asks, "Haruno-sama, do you… really remember nothing?"

She shakes her head, "The last thing I remember clearly was healing Tenkawa-san."

There's a soft sigh as the lady exhales and looks out the window, "Then I suppose it's harmless telling you. Your jounin sensei did this while we were escaping."

Sakura is really warming up the acting of the Kumo nin, even Kakashi-sensei would have been bought over by her story, maybe sensei is not a good gauge, since Samui-san is also a stunning beauty.

"My jounin sensei..?" she furrows her brows, making an aborted motion to shake her head, "I don't… I don't have such a sensei. And I shouldn't be getting a team leader with such a strong lightning release."

"Hatake Kakashi. He declared himself that he was your sensei and that he would be taking you back, and considering the last Uchiha was on your team, it makes sense that he was speaking the truth."

She busies herself with scanning the injury, pretending to process the new information and pointedly ignoring the open discussion. "Samui-san, can you describe the technique that did this to you?"

Samui-san shivers as her chakra washes over her, through her system and traversing the paths that have been destroyed, 'fried'.

"Honestly I was hoping Haruno-sama would be able to shed more light on it, observing my wound. It was the first time I saw lightning in a stream so sharp."

So not only is it my medical skills, also trying to decipher a new lightning technique that the majority of Kumo ninjas would be able to use.

"A stream?"

Sakura begins to patch Samui-san's chakra pathway, only to find that, "Ah… Samui-san, one of your tenketsu have been sealed."

"Yes, a stream like it was advanced shape manipulation, but I can't imagine how a rough element like lightning would have conformed."

Of course, Sasuke's each training session worth of theorisations combined with knowledge of how electricity works under the laws of physics means she has a rough idea, but below, her crafted persona is bubbling. Bubbling with desperation and also anger, "A Hyuga did this, who did this, Samui-san?"

"I believe Hatake Kakashi called her… Hinata. She had an unmarked forehead, so I suppose she was from the main bloodline."

Her emotions are cresting and rolling in worry, "And Hinata-chan? You didn't hurt her, right?"

Samui-san is frowning mildly now, not looking at her, "I injured her enough to make Hatake back off. It was the only way we could save you. They pursued you all the way past the borders."

"I can't unseal tenketsu externally, Samui-san, you have to expel a concentrated amount for yourself," she says, proceeding with the treatment like she accepts the explanation with a bad taste in her mouth, "I can only heal you so far."

"And it's still better than what anyone in this village is able to do."

Sakura gently clasps the lady's hands in hers. "In exchange, help me get back to Konoha, Samui-san. If you come with me, we can also get your tenketsu unsealed."

The lady almost looks like she's seriously considering it, before she takes her hands away, "I cannot, Haruno-sama. You don't even remember why you were fleeing Konoha, how can you think of going back?"

"Ever since I woke up, Samui-san, I can only remember that one emotion, that I have people who are waiting for me. Even if ten years have passed and I remember nothing else, I can remember that much."

She continues to heal the Kumo-nin, observing the radial pathway that Sasuke's stream of lightning has left, thinking about how electricity takes the shortest path, and wondering how thin the attack was.

Wondering also how Hinata-chan was in the team sent to chase after her, when they should have sent a Hyuga with a seal. Even if it was naturally to test if the Kumo team had other priorities, a clan heir is too much to have risked.

"As for unsealing tenketsu, I can't see them, but I can feel the blockage. If you are not traumatised by the attack, we could try with a lightning release user's help," she offers as a peace offering, as if she had not asked the lady to defect from her village.

Sakura wonders, now, thinking back, maybe Meifu-sama was talking about Tenkawa-san. What is the point of digging up all of these things in the past, why must I be the one to hurt, thinking about it?

Her healing chakra washes over Samui-san, putting her to and telling her to, "Sleep."


Sakura would usually think that the ninja attached to her are unyieldingly loyal to the Kage, but as her experience in Konoha tells her, being placed with her is a test for both her and whichever ninja placed by her side.

She manages to find another nurse down the corridor, noting how understaffed and ragged the hospital generally is, and then generally asks for help – she gets a bath, clean clothes and a meeting with the Raikage.

They washed her clothes but they're a little dusty now. Sakura remembers these clothes, her white blouse and black pants – even her sandals washed so neatly. Unfortunately, that means Tenzo's tracking seeds are long gone.

"How should I walk to get to your Raikage's office?" even Karui-san waiting outside the bath, giving her a mild, if unnaturally polite look.

The red-haired and chocolate-toned lady had been quite energetic and loud – much like Naruto-chan when they first met. One of the signs that all of this is scripted, that she was assigned because Sakura is more familiar with her than any other in this village.

"Thanks for helping out," she says almost gruffly. Sakura looks up curiously at her, hands behind her, tucked into loose kimono sleeves, "Medics should help, of course."

A flicker of incredulity and honesty spilling out, "I know you lost your memories and all, but ojou-chan, aren't you being a little too…"

"Oh, has that already gotten out? It is a good thing I grew up early." Sakura frowns, "Then Karui-san, are you going to antagonise Konoha the way you did my escorts?"

"No thanks, Haruno-sama," she says, her tone now lightly incredulous, and Sakura pounces, "Then why did Samui-san and C-san help me?"

Karui squeezes her shoulder in what must be an assuring manner – Sakura only thinks about her sword calluses. "They're strong enough to dare to try. And you ran far enough, I heard, for them to get back up. As far as the diplomatic community could care, you're an asylum seeker."

"I want to go home, though," she says simply and watches Karui reel in shock. Ah, so they gave her an honest person who was already fed the story.

"Whoa, hold up, ojou-chan, are you serious?" "Quite," she says as they stroll down the streets, gathering stares with their red and pink hair.

"I will ask Raikage-sama to hand me all the patients I should heal to repay this gratitude, but I will go back to Konoha after."

Karui looks like she never even contemplated this, her eyes wide – before she frowns, rubbing the back of her neck, "I guess since you've already set your heart. You're always welcome here, though."

Sakura smiles, "Well, you're always welcome to visit me in Konoha, I'll give you bed and breakfast too."

The Cloud-nin actually laughs, "I know you don't have your memories, but even when you get them back, don't forget what you've promised me."


Huwah! One more chapter. And in the next, let's see what has happened while Sakura was 'sleeping', the things she gets up to in Kumo, and then you'll be able to see Sasuke's Chidori Stream but with technicalities more explained. Also the way that this diplomatic fiasco rolls over. Sakura, always thinking of ways to make things better.

As always, love to hear from you all,

Kayo