Hello my dear readers!

I wrote an extra long chapter for you guys, so I hope you enjoy. Please take note there is an important message at the end of this chapter. Happy reading!

—Peregrine Passage

…..

Team 7 was up and ready at dawn (though Sakura had gotten up early to train), and they were monitoring the bridge by seven. Sakura had thought long and hard about the consequences of killing Zabuza, and what that would mean for the future. As she gazed over the construction site, Sakura made up her mind.

Sakura knew that Gato would come with his goons to destroy the bridge, but this time, it would be Team 7 that would eliminate the criminal and his lackeys.

This will be good training, since Sasuke and Naruto haven't quite learned to fight in a group yet, let alone against multiple enemies.

Would it be adequate preparation for the group fights that awaited them in the Forest of Death?

No, but it was a start.

The mob of men arrived to destroy the bridge, led, as Sakura knew they would be, by Gato.

Sakura faced them and Gato laughed in her face. "Little girl, you have no business here. But it's too late to run now. Get em'!" Gato signaled for his large force of relatively undertrained gangsters to move forward with a massive blitz attack.

Sakura chuckled darkly as she cracked her knuckles. "Here they come, like lambs to the cosmic slaughter!"

Sakura, emboldened by battle, shouted to her team: "Alright boys, this isn't a battle of attrition, but a purge. They have numbers, but we have power. Training. Teamwork. Now, make Team 7 proud! Sasuke, you take left, Naruto, I'll take the right as you corner them with an army of shadow clones from the rear. We'll encircle them and then execute a pincer formation!" Tactical information spilled from Sakura's mouth as naturally as rain fell from the sky. She looked back at Kakashi and gave him a look that said, leave this to us."Their taijutsu is poor and their ninjutsu non-existent. Go nuts, boys."

Sakura deftly maneuvered her way through the crowd, breaking, shattering, blocking nerves, and dodging poorly aimed weaponry. She recalled her fight with Sasori with a little bit of nostalgia; how she'd artfully dodged nearly every attack, the innumerable onslaught of his deadly puppets, because of the fatal poison with which Sasori's weapons were coated. This was nothing compared to that. Sakura went into auto pilot, choosing the aggressive and relentless taijutsu style drilled into her by Tsunade over Lee's in a battle where she simply needed to get rid of weak enemies quickly, rather than overpower a single, more powerful enemy armed with an arsenal of ninjutsu. She was meant to be herding the enemy into the pincer formation, but she was eating into their numbers too quickly. Within a minute, the entire right side of Gato's forces had been eliminated by the pink haired shinobi. Sakura closed the gap and joined Sasuke, who was using his Katon to usher the gangsters up against Naruto's army of clones. She watched with satisfaction as the boys took down what was left of the unwieldy gang. She was brimming with pride.

Teamwork, she thought happily.

Kakashi appeared by Sakura's side. "Excellent work, Sakura. Your belief in the principle of teamwork is to this team's supreme advantage."

Sasuke's eyes were still spinning red with black pinwheels when he returned with Naruto. "We won," he breathed.

Naruto was a bit more excited. "Did you see? Did you see me out there! I kicked butt."

Sakura corrected him with a smile: "We kicked butt."

After the defeat of Gato and his men, there were no opposers to the bridge and so no further incidents occurred.

Sakura giggled as Tazuna revealed the name of the bridge: "The Great Team 7 Bridge".

"What?" said Tazuna, pouting at her laughter. "You guys protected us and kept us safe! We would never have been able to finish the bridge without your help."

The smile never left Sakura's face. "Even so…"

"Come on Sakura-chan! Just accept it! I think it's a great name," said Naruto, flitting around her excitedly.

"Personally, I agree with Sakura," said Sasuke in a rare moment of voluntary conversation.

Hatake Kakashi felt affection for his team. They weren't perfect, but they'd made progress.

Obito, I have no idea what I've gotten myself into, but somehow I'm reminded of those days we spent together, with Rin.

The team returned to Konoha. At the gates, as Naruto chatted with Kakashi, Sakura waited as she knew Kakashi would probably require her presence, but Sasuke tugged her onto a side street, out of earshot. Then he let go, and the two stood, each making note of the other.

"Sakura," he finally called out.

"Yes, Sasuke?" she asked with a note of apprehension.

"I want to know more."

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. "About what?"

"About us. About what happened with us, and why you're so angry at me." His eyes certainly betrayed his curiosity; he was a completely different animal than the Sasuke she'd known in her previous timeline, hard as it was to admit.

Sakura gave him a long look. She didn't owe him a response, but was compelled to speak, since the other two members of Team 7 they were unable to hear her. After a moment of staring into the horizon, Sakura whirled on him with folded arms.

"I spent many nights wondering where you were, and if you'd ever come home. Each time you did, no matter how briefly, I was there to accept your return with open arms. I hoped against all odds that you'd stay and be with the family you professed to want so badly since your youth. Did you know the first time you saw Sarada, you couldn't even recognize her?" Sakura sighed, as if defeated.

"…Sarada. Who is that?" asked Sasuke. His alter ego rumbled with guilt but did not say anything.

"Your daughter, Sasuke. Sarada was your daughter," choked Sakura. She could handle what the Uchiha had done to her, but that he had deprived her precious child of a father after all was said and done; well, that she couldn't excuse. She turned away from him. "I can't possibly go back to you, Sasuke. I'd be making the very same mistake. Fool me once, right?" A bittersweet smile appeared on Sakura's face. Though outward Sasuke knew little of the meaning of human emotions, his inner alter seemed much more accustomed to humanity.

See, you can't afford to make the same mistakes again. Or you will lose everything and everyone you ever cared about twice over. Sakura is only 12 right now, so I surmise she won't have to worry about her dating just yet, but there are enemies out there. Plus, her mental age is clearly more like mine than yours.

A long silence stretched between them as Sasuke thought to himself. When he looked at Sakura's face, frozen in thought under the pale moonlight, he watched her heart break at the notion of Sarada's non-existence.

"Ultimately, it was my mistake," sighed Sakura. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Her continued dialogue surprised Sasuke. "I wanted to be with you and yet expected what you could not give: time and love."

This time, it was Sasuke's alter who spoke for him. "Do you want to be with me now?"

Sakura heart hammered against her chest. Candyfloss hair covered her vision. After a moment, she seemed to gain her breath back. She closed her eyes, and opened them with resolve. "No, I have no desire to reunite with the man who abandoned me in my previous life."

Different timeline, past life, whatever.

A long silence stretched between them. Finally, in a truly outlandish act, Sasuke took up Sakura's hands gently in his own. He looked down and Sakura noticed the nostalgic turn of his lips; he saw the secret asking in her eyes.

"It would be different now, if we could just give it another try." Somehow, his voice sounded tender.

Sakura's eyes were pregnant with raw emotion. Her, not knowing that Sasuke had his own knowledge of the future; him, allowing her to converse with his innermost self. She furrowed her brows and looked up at him.

"No," whispered Sakura hoarsely. "The only thing that awaits me in that scenario is an empty home and a child to raise on my own. Besides, my priorities have changed."

Sakura smiled a little fondly and placed her hand on his cheek. There were tears in her eyes, brightened by the light of the moon. "You should ask one of your fan girls. I'm sure they'd love to bear your little Uchiha babies. Oh, stop looking at me like I've said something ridiculous."

"I have no interest in those people." Sasuke stated bluntly.

She is the only one who can save us from ourselves, Sasuke the elder remarked softly, explaining to Sasuke once again the importance of Haruno Sakura to his existence.

"Are you saying you have an interest in me now?" challenged Sakura. This seemed to rattle the younger Sasuke; his words caught in his throat. Sakura took the opportunity to pull her hands away from his grip.

"Didn't think so. Goodbye, Sasuke-san. Let's work hard on our next mission," she stated slowly and deliberately, allowing formality to fill up the empty space between them.

"Wait, Sakura—," began Sasuke and Sakura sighed and left in a rush of cherry blossoms. Her face was devoid of all emotion, indifference etched into her features as she disappeared.

When she returned to the gates, Sakura wasn't surprised to find Naruto and Kakashi still there.

"Sakura-chan, do you want to go to Ichiraku's to celebrate?" Naruto's eyes were pleading, and for a moment she entertained the thought; however, even before Kakashi spoke up, she stilled, waiting for his request. He would lead her to the Hokage.

"Sakura, stay behind. I have some questions for you."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei," said Sakura, immediately switching to the neutral monotone she used on ANBU missions in her former life. Kakashi immediately perceived the difference in her attitude and raised a brow. Sakura laughed and shrugged, breaking the stone-like expression she'd plastered on but a few moments before.

After the boys had excused themselves, Kakashi spoke.

"It didn't take me much time to realize that your combat abilities and even instincts far outrank those of your fellows. Now, it isn't unheard of to come across a genius here and there. Uchiha Itachi, for example. Me, even, or my father. But it's as if you already know everything, already learned what I had to teach. And I only know of one person who has a diamond seal on their forehead. What is your intent?" Kakashi faced her squarely in the dimming light as afternoon morphed into evening.

"Trust me when I say that my primary objective is protecting Konoha from unseen dangers. I must speak with Hokage-sama," Sakura spoke sharply, tone ripe with the authority she once wielded. She looked Kakashi in the eye and spoke in a low whisper. "I will only say this once. Code: Alpha Omega."

Kakashi's breath hitched. Code: Alpha Omega was specifically for forbidden, S-SS Rank missions. It was part of a series of ciphers designed to communicate important information secretly and securely. He looked at the 12 year old, newly minted genin before him. Slowly, he nodded. "Come, my student. It's time to visit the Hokage."

…

Sakura looked up at the Hokage tower she'd come to know so well in her other timeline. She thought of time spent as Tsunade's apprentice; in truth, her Shishou was more than a mentor to Sakura: she was a mother, too. The absence of her teacher's visage from the stone carvings of Konoha's Kage made her heart twist a little. She kept pace with Kakashi as he opened the doors to the tower and led her up the spiraling staircase and around the corner, stopping in front of the third Hokage's office doors.

"You may enter," the voice came from inside the office and Sakura drew in a breath at the sound of a voice she thought she'd never hear again. Kakashi pushed the doors open, and the pair entered the office. Sakura smiled to herself. Her Shishou's desk had been a little more… messy and boozy than Hiruzen's.

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the purple diamond on Sakura's forehead, his eyes shifted from weary to standing attention. "I'd recognize that mark anywhere. It belongs to one of my students. Do you know her?" he asked with somewhat forced calm.

"Hokage-sama," Sakura began. "Code: Alpha Omega. Further specification: Code: Mobius Loop." This was the code meant to refer to missions involving the manipulation of time and space, essentially very specific dimensional jutsu, and therefor was seldom, if ever, uttered. There was no way a green genin could have known it, even if she hadn't come from a civilian background. Sarutobi studied her carefully. He noticed her stiff back and strong gaze. The purple diamond looked quite natural on her forehead.

"To answer your question, I knew Tsunade-sama. She was my Shishou and the fifth Hokage in my previous life. I have returned to the past in order to prevent several tragedies which result in the deaths of, well, everyone. Konoha, the bijuu… you and Tsunade-Shishou. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke… Sarada. Everyone and everything you have ever loved will be destroyed. It began with the Uchiha massacre, and although that event has already occurred, we must turn our focus to the future. Hokage-sama, you must prepare yourself for the what is to come—,"

Sarutobi held a hand up, motioning for her to stop. "If you know Tsuna, then you know of her former teammates. I assume this has to do with one such individual?"

Sakura noticed how he named few names and followed along.

She nodded. "Indeed, sir. My concern lies with the chunnin exams."

"Is that the time when the ninja will strike?" Sarutobi asked, the generality of his question deliberate, lest there be eavesdroppers.

Sakura thought for a moment. She began her explanation: "Two allies. Both alike in apprehension toward Konoha. The Snake finds it's way into the forest. He has two objectives: Kill the Old Monkey, and mark the Young Falcon. The Snake slithers along with the Sand, methodically and calculatingly waiting for the time to plant his curse on the Young Falcon. The Snake will always be a snake, but he seeks the form of the Young Falcon, and covets it's remarkable sight."

Sarutobi stared at the young, pink haired girl. The Snake was clearly Orochimaru. He, of course, was the Old Monkey. Who was the Young Falcon? He sent a questioning look towards Kakashi, who was thinking the same thing. Sakura rolled her eyes: "The Young Falcon is blinded by the crows above him, whom he is continually seeking out for revenge."

"Sasuke," Kakashi breathed. Sakura nodded silently.

Sakura added: "It is a general rule that it is unwise to believe everything one hears."

Kakashi looked at Sarutobi. The old man leaned in, away from the window so his lips could not be read, whispered, "You're telling me not to trust Otogakure and Sunagakure?"

Sakura nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi looked into the distance and then fixed his eyes upon Sakura. "Do you know the details?"

"Hai…The Snake will kill and take the form of the Kazekage on the final day of the exams. He will unleash the one tailed beast; in the past, we drove the jinchūriki, whom I will call the Sandman, under full-body possession by Shukaku, away and toward the perimeter of the village; but without foreknowledge of the attack… the Snake and his nest ravaged Konoha…" Sakura took a breath and pain flashed briefly in her eyes. "The Old Monkey dies protecting what he treasures most, and disables the Snake's…powers. His arms useless, unable to perform jutsu, he craves another body to inhabit: that of the Young and capable Falcon."

"However," Sakura continued, "I do not intend on allowing the Snake to mark the Falcon at all. I surpassed my Shishou a long time ago; I should be able to take the Snake out, at least for a time."

"A twelve year old girl, defeating one of the Legendary Sannin? That would be one for the history books," commented Kakashi. "But I agree, preventing the Snake from marking the Falcon at all sounds like a good start."

After a moment, Sarutobi became curious about something. "Sakura, what was your rank when you were sent on this mission?"

Sakura gulped. She knew this question was coming. "Kage. After the Slug Princess and the Fox died, the elders decided I was the best one for the job. I took up the mantle of Hokage and disaster struck, and Leaf,—-well, everything,— was destroyed. I made the decision to return to a time before Konoha found itself in such a mess, at a time when I could change things. I am here to protect the people I love and serve, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi whistled and leaned back in his seat. "So you're the seventh Hokage? Please, drop the formalities. I saw the way you eyed the stacks of paperwork on my desk with disdain. You know my pain."

Sakura smiled nostalgically. "I do, Sarutobi-sama. I am always available if you need an extra hand."

"Thank you, Sakura," said Sarutobi, "you've got such an important mission, I wouldn't want to put more work on your plate."

"Rest assured, Sarutobi-sama. I will not sacrifice my mission. Please make preparations, as during the match with the Sandman, with whom you should pair me in the finals, the Snake drapes a woolen blanket over the eyes of the audience."

They will cast a genjutsu over everyone and that is when the attack with begin, during Gaara's fight. Only I have the experience to take on Gaara in a fight with his tailed beast in full force.

"Hokage-sama, I may not look like much, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. If the invasion goes south, I will make sure the situation is resolved with minimal loss of life." Sakura's eyes shone with confidence. She was absolutely sure she could win.

Kakashi and Sarutobi nodded as they understood. She would make it to the final round of examinees, battle Gaara, subdue him and thus shut down the most destructive part of the attack. Plus, now that they knew of the oncoming attack, they would litter the audience with hidden shinobi at the ready. They would squash the attack at it's very center.

Sakura sighed, "may I go home now?"

Sarutobi smiled wearily. "But of course, Sakura. I expect to see you soon."

Sakura returned his smile, then nodded at Kakashi. "Goodbye, then." Sakura disappeared in a flourish of fragrant cherry blossoms.

"She healed my Sharingan, Hokage-sama. It's as good as new," stated Kakashi levelly.

"Good. She is invaluable to the survival of this village."

"Frighteningly powerful, though," said Kakashi with a little shiver.

"Yes," the Hokage acknowledged warmly. He puffed on his pipe thoughtfully and added: "She reminds me of Tsuna. There's no doubt that she is her pupil."

…..

Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto walked the streets of Konoha casually. They were on their way to meet with Kakashi-sensei, when Konahamaru and his little gang of misfits bumped into Kankuro just a few feet in front of them. Gaara ordered his brother to stop his little games, which, from Sakura's perspective, was actually quite a morally decent thing to do for someone half-crazed by the demon living inside them.

This is where we first encounter Gaara. I can't let him suffer the same way he did in my last timeline.

I'll approach him.

Gaara stood quietly in the middle of the street, light green eyes deep and sunken, and surveyed Team 7. The redhead sported his "love" tattoo on his forehead and he took account of the group; his eyes landed on Sasuke. Gaara's siblings stood a safe distance away, though still flanking his sides.

"You," said Gaara, pointing at Sasuke. "What's your name?"

Oh no you don't! Thought Sakura. Sakura shunshined and appeared right in front of the fuming, twitching Gaara, faster than his sand could possibly keep up with. She grabbed Gaara's chin and jerked his gaze her way.

"Don't look at him, look at me."

A green glow emitted from her palm and almost immediately a curious quietude engulfed Gaara. Suddenly, the features of the world, which used to be nothing but an irritant to him, seemed… tolerable. Gaara sighed in relief and Shukaku slipped into a peaceful half-slumber. Gaara's pale, green eyes peered into her own more verdant orbs. Sakura smiled and stepped back a little, to give him some space.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Haruno Sakura. What's your name?" she greeted him with enthusiasm.

"…Gaara of Suna. What did you do to me?" He demanded, confused, angry, and relieved.

"I saw that you were having trouble, so I took the liberty of relieving some of your pain. Sorry if I overstepped. Call it the instincts of a medical-ninja," Sakura said, rubbing the back of her head.

Gaara stood there, quietly speaking with Shukaku.

I want that one. We should keep her, growled Shukaku from deep within his rest.

Sakura sensed the furious spike in both chakra and heart rate from Sasuke behind her.

"Thank you," Gaara whispered, quite uncharacteristically.

"It was my pleasure. You must be here for the chunnin exams, Gaara-san. Are these your siblings?" Sakura knew the answers to all these questions, but treating Gaara as a human and engaging him in simple conversation would be his first steps toward socialization, and therefor, closer to an allyship with Konoha.

Gaara nodded slowly, wordlessly.

"Chunnin exams?" asked Naruto from behind.

"This close to the exam and you don't even know about it? Are you sure you're going to participate?" remarked Temari, who watched from her perch in a tree.

Sakura remembered the sparky kunoichi and her signature fan with great nostalgia; after all, they had become quite close and often trained together, when they had occasion to see each other. In fact, after Sakura's battle with Sasori, she and Gaara, who often saw each other while Sakura worked as Tsunade's proxy, formed an indelible friendship. Sakura smiled briefly, recalling the way Naruto made all these relationships, platonic or otherwise, possible; his tenaciousness and courage in the face of unbeatable odds was contagious, to say the least. He was the sun, and Sasuke? He was without a doubt the red moon, though he, too, had qualities belonging to the sun. Both Naruto and Sasuke burned brightly in Sakura's eyes.

"I'll explain everything to you both, since it seems Kakashi-sensei has yet to do so," Sakura whispered to her teammates. "We're participating in the chunnin exams and Kakashi recommended us. Now you know. Get ready, because we need to train for this."

Sakura felt sand materializing near her right cheekbone, though she felt no bloodlust from Shukaku. Instead, the sand slowly cradled her cheek, and held her there, before vanishing.

"Oye! Don't touch our Sakura-chan!" interrupted Naruto haughtily.

"Naruto, it's oka—," began Sakura. She didn't want to give Gaara the impression that she was frightened by him. His own siblings treated him with severe apprehension.

Sasuke was in front of her in a flash, placing himself between her and Gaara.

"Back. Off." He sounded oddly… feral.

Gaara said nothing but a look of intense dislike flashed across his features. He gave Sakura one last, long look before turning around. "Let's go."

The trio disappeared down the street and Sasuke whirled on Sakura. "What was that?"

Sakura sighed. "Calm yourself, Sasuke. That boy and his siblings are the progeny of the current Kazekage. In addition, Gaara is a jinchūriki. Naruto, you know what that means, right?"

Naruto looked startled. His wide, cerulean eyes looked at her with caution and bewilderment.

"You knew?"

Sakura laughed and smiled kindly. "Naruto, whenever your life is in danger, the Kyuubi's orange chakra surrounds you and it is visible. It is Kurama's enormous chakra which lends you your extraordinary regenerative abilities and predisposition for ninjutsu. It wasn't hard to guess… Plus, I know more than you'd believe. I knew from day one. I don't care if you're a jinchūriki or a toad. You're one of my best friends and that's what you'll always be; I could never think of you as a monster. And I don't look down on Kurama, either."

Naruto's eyes filled with tears. Sakura hugged him silently as he wept. Sasuke observed with mixed feelings. After Naruto's crying had ceased, she addressed the boys together: "In the short time we have, Team 7 must train and make preparations for the exam. Tomorrow is our day off but, do you guys want to meet here and do some drills tomorrow?"

"Why should I?" asked Sasuke.

You idiot, deadpanned his inner elder.

"Because teamwork is our best and most adaptable weapon. The more familiar we are with one another and how we move, the better we can execute teamwork, almost thoughtlessly… and I happen to know one or two things about this exam," grinned Sakura. That last detail was the carrot she was dangling in front of Sasuke. She played up to his ambition.

She isn't saying so for show, boy. You will encounter Orochimaru in the Forest of Death during the exam, and that is, if Sakura and I weren't here, where and when you would have received the curse mark. That won't happen this time around, Elder Sasuke's commanding voice boomed across his consciousness. She will try to protect us.

Did you see that Gaara guy? The way he…

I know. We will keep an eye on him.

"Fine," Sasuke relented. "Tomorrow, by the bridge, 8 AM."

"Make that 6 AM."

"Sakura-chan! That's way too early. I can't wake up that early," whined Naruto. Sakura smacked him on the upside of his head.

"I don't know about you, but I begin training at 4:00 AM," she said. Naruto's face twisted in horror.

After a moment, Naruto asked: "Sakura-chan, what did you do to that red-haired guy who… who is like me?"

Sakura said in a low whisper, "it's a secret, but I developed a medical ninjutsu that can calm tailed beasts without sealing their existence away, though I know some fuinjutsu just in case. It makes living with them not only possible, but even comfortable. I just did a little preliminary healing."

Naruto thought for a long while. "Sakura-chan, did you… for… me?"

"That's right, Naruto. I told you, I'm your teammate. I've got your back. So come at 6 AM." A lovely smile graced Sakura's features before she dissolved into a rush of petals.

…..

To Naruto's credit, he arrived only half an hour later than the appointed time. Sakura greeted him happily, and nodded at Sasuke in recognition. Sakura walked her boys to a far off training field. She led them in a practicing their Kata forms. Team 7's training session came and went; it was mainly attempts to pull off tactical formations suitable for 3 man teams. Learning each other's movements, tendencies, habits, preferences, and fighting styles was imperative for teamwork. The boys looked beaten and tired, while not a pink hair was out of place on Sakura's head.

"Good work, guys. There's only a month before the first exam, so, shall we train tomorrow as well?" Sakura asked cheerily, observing the two boys who lay, arms outstretched and panting on the ground. Sakura couldn't hold in a giggle at the undignified sight of the reincarnations of Indra and Asura splayed out, covered in sweat and dirt.

Naruto grinned. He pulled up the orange sleeve of his jumpsuit and flexed his bicep rather comically. "Yes! I can feel myself getting stronger by the day!"

"Hn," grunted Sasuke, which Sakura took as resigned acceptance.

"Where are you going now, Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto as she turned and headed deeper into the training grounds.

She grinned. "What? Just because you guys are lazy, doesn't mean I have to be. I need to get stronger."

Sakura added: "Today, we stuck to basic three-man squad strategies, but that isn't the only thing we will be tested on. Luckily, I am a medic, so I can provide support in ways usually only employed during Shinobi wars. Tomorrow, we will work with another team. I know both of you are itching to improve your ninjutsu, and we will get to that, but please trust me when I say this and survival training are imperative to our success." Sakura's eyes were so serious neither of her teammates dared say anything in response.

Sakura turned around and continued on her way to Training ground 14, leaving the boys wondering just why Haruno Sakura was so hell-bent on getting stronger.

…

"Kakashi-sensei," called out Sakura. She found him exactly where she expected him to be: wandering around the memorial stone. "I am sorry to disturb your time here. I came to explain our new training partners."

He turned to her, one eye brow cocked. "Go on," and he motioned for her to explain.

Sakura took a breath. "I want us to train with Gai's team as much as we can before the upcoming exam." Team 7 needed to be more prepared for combat than last time. As she thought about it, she realized it wasn't just Team 7 that needed to be stronger. The rest of the Rookie Nine participated heavily in the defense against the invasion; she needed to help improve them somehow as well.

Then she forged on, "I've scheduled a training session with Gai's team tomorrow at 10 A.M., but I'd like you to arrive at the bridge at 8 AM in order to begin our training. We will begin training early. Besides, wouldn't you just love to crush 'the spirit of youth'?" As she said the last words she mimed Gai's enthusiastic thumbs up.

Kakashi chuckled darkly. What a fabulous opportunity his favorite student had brought to his door.

….

The next morning, Team 7 met bright and early, as per Sakura's orders. She led them in a chakra circulating exercise, which took longer than she expected,—had these two always been so, well, imperfect?—in order to awaken their muscles and make their chakra more amenable to being molded for ninjutsu; and indeed, as usual, she led her team through kata forms and brought their reaction times up to speed. By the time she was done with them, Sasuke and Naruto were fully awake, alert, and aware.

The two teams met at training ground 8 at 10 A.M. Gai announced their youthful activity would be sparring with one another. Kakashi proceeded to announce the pairings.

"Sasuke, you're with Tenten, Naruto, you're with Lee, since Sakura is already familiar with the lotus style,"—her teammates looked her questioningly and she simply shrugged,— "and Neji, you're with Sakura."

The pearl eyed shinobi's eyebrows shot up. His face was set in its usual stony, disapproving expression. "I want to fight the Uchiha."

Sakura wasn't surprised. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he turned to respond in kind and accept the challenge but Kakashi cut in first, putting his hand in front of the boy. Kakashi looked Neji up and down and pondered for a moment. His eye crinkled in concert with what could only be a saccharine smile behind his mask.

"If you can beat Sakura-chan, then you can fight Sasuke. But if you cannot defeat her in this match, you must verbally acknowledge her strength. Sakura, what do you think?"

Sakura grinned and her viridian orbs gleamed. "I think that will work out just fine, Kakashi-sensei. I won't let you down," she said with a wink and a smile. It felt like she was gaining footing when it came to reestablishing her friendship with Kakashi.

"Look at her! She has pink hair and she comes from a civilian family. She should fight Tenten," Neji hissed. "This is insulting."

Both girls eyed each other, exchanging looks which said mutely, "sorry my teammate is such a bastard," and "sorry that mine is such an arrogant ass."

Sakura smiled at her. Somehow, Tenten wasn't worried about Sakura facing Neji. To her, Sakura gave off a sense of gravitas she rarely saw but so often craved in other kunoichi. Like her idol, Tsunade-sama of the Senju clan. Tenten returned the expression with upturned lips.

Sakura knew that she couldn't kill the clan brat. She knew that she should draw out the match to make her abilities more believable. But Neji had hit a nerve, and Sakura was in the mood to teach him a lesson. Sakura recalled a story that her Shishou told her about an early encounter with Naruto. She nodded to herself. Yes, that would do quite nicely, as inspiration.

"I may not look it, but I'm a decent fighter." Sakura held out her finger. "With this one finger, I will defeat you. Hopefully it'll knock your ego down a couple pegs."

A pause. Sakura shifted nonchalantly into stance. Time to humble this boy.

Sorry, kid. If you play with fire, you're going to get burned. Especially if you mistake my hair for feminine fragility.

Where does he get the confidence? Little brat.

Kaguya made a noise of agreement.

Sakura motioned for Neji to make the first move. "Come on, kiddo."

Neji's pursed his lips in irritation. "I'm older and more experienced than you. I have a Kekkei genkai."

She was fated to lose the moment she stepped onto these training strong eat the weak, and I am no weakling, thought Neji resolutely.

Sasuke winced at the familiarity of Hyuuga Neji's speech. The indignation, the complete miscalculation of Sakura's abilities, and of course, reliance on a bloodline limit. Sasuke knew none of these things would stop his teammate, especially when she was motivated by her will to dominate. He almost felt bad for Neji,—almost.

It's a shame he has such myopia. Look at this, a Byakugan user who can't see what is right in front of him, thought Sasuke.

"Trust me, she won't break. Now, begin," said Kakashi amusedly. Both he and Gai had taken up positions overlooking the matches beneath a nearby cluster of trees.

I'll finish this quickly, thought Neji. She cannot dodge my palms. He dashed toward Sakura,—quickly for a genin, even a chunnin, but not enough. Not even close to enough.

Sakura saw Neji barreling toward her, watched him slide into stance and begin his clan's famous, relentless taijutsu assault. Neji's hands glowed a menacing blue as he extended his palms in a rapid fire attack. Sasuke's Sharingan activated automatically and he watched as Sakura easily danced around Neji's offensive onslaught in an effortless blur of precise motion; Neji's brow furrowed and the frequency and strength behind his attacks increased. His long, white robes flowed and his elegant, dark brown hair spun as he moved with grace.

"Okay, enough dancing. My turn now!" Sakura chirped. She had a habit of playing with the psychology of her opponents.

Neji heard her voice yet didn't see her move. In an instant, Sakura shunshined beneath his reach and even as he activated his Byakugan, her next movements were impossible to track. With her right pointer finger, Sakura sealed the chakra points in his upper body and, circling her own foot around Neji's ankle, pulled up, causing him to lose his balance. Neji stumbled back, powerless and very much open to attack. He barely had time to breathe before Sakura flash stepped within his guard and grinned before raising her hand to flick the young clansman's forehead. He felt consciousness slipping away as he sailed through the air and to the opposite side of the training ground. His head felt like it was about to split open.

Sakura thought briefly of Neji's tragic death and found herself determined to change such circumstances.

Sakura couldn't help herself. She sat atop her opponent, straddling him, with a kunai pressed to his neck.

"Before you pass out, say 'uncle'."

He narrowed his eyes but did not take the bait. Instead, Neji's hips bucked under her,—she blushed a little inside,—and made sure her cocky demeanor remained. She chuckled. "Looks like you won't be fighting Sasuke today, or ever, if you keep fighting like that."

"Alright, enough," said Kakashi. "This is starting to look like a scene from Icha Icha Paradise."

Neji brought his head up and looked at the girl, Byakugan still activated. A nobody, a civilian, had disposed of him so easily. He had misjudged her. Neji's mind reeled as he considered how utterly ineffective the Hyuuga style was against her. One of the style's largest strengths was that it was completely unique; but Sakura had found a way to seal chakra points and even break through his well renowned defense. He didn't even have the chance to put up his arms for his ultimate defense.

Is she really a genin? She defeated me with a single digit, thought Neji. Sakura, having dealt with Sasuke in the past, expected to hear harsh words from the Hyuuga but instead her eyes were met with a kind of respect. Not the devoted reverence with which Lee gazed at her, but cogs had begun to turn—he was curious to say the very least.

Neji remembered the terms of their bet. "You, Haruno Sakura, are a worthy opponent. I acknowledge your skill." Sakura suppressed the urge to smile. She simply nodded proudly, satisfied. She had already proven her overwhelming strength, though she always liked to hear her opponents face their dreadful miscalculations.

Sakura looked at him meaningfully before turning her face wistfully to the open, blue sky. Before Neji lost consciousness he heard her say:

"The bird who seeks to leave the nest must fly with the strength of their own wings. May the wind always chase his back…"

Freedom…? Neji thought idly, that long forgotten dream in his heart, before passing out.

"That's the match! The win goes to Sakura," said Kakashi cheerily. Gai had been training his team for over two years and yet he had only just received his. Kakashi shot a smug look at Gai, who was, to his grand disappointment, still teeming with 'youthful energy.'

Tenten's jaw dropped at the outcome of the match. She had seen it all from the sidelines, next to Lee, who had defeated Naruto. Sasuke had made quick work of her and was also standing at the sidelines, but for some reason he looked viciously angry.

Neji! Felled by another kunoichi, thought Tenten. She relished the scene and looked over to her other teammate who had been strangely quiet this whole time, at least for someone who had shown as much enthusiasm for the pink haired kunoichi as he had.

Finally, the green clad ninja spoke with a smile. "I knew when she came and asked to practice with our team and I saw her weights, that she would be good and tenacious, but it seems Sakura-chan is a magnificent shinobi."

He called her a shinobi, thought Tenten. Not kunoichi, but shinobi. I want to be respected like that. But how did she become so powerful?'

Sasuke watched Neji and Sakura's exchange with both pride and irritation. Pride, because his wife had kicked the Hyuuga's ass with a single finger, and irritation at the newfound interest in Neji's eyes as he slipped into darkness. Lee's boisterous enthusiasm was enough to deal with… and that Gaara boy from Suna had looked at Sakura like she was a piece of meat meant to be eaten up.

"Alright, I better heal him. I didn't do much, but if his chakra points are blocked for too long, he might try to force chakra into them, causing them to explode." It was Sakura's experience during the shinobi wars and healing Hyuugas that told her this was a tendency of theirs. A stubborn clan made of stubborn people.

Just like the Uchiha, thought Sakura.

Sakura looked over to her defeated opponent. She giggled at the rather undignified scene. Bending down, Sakura simply moved her hand across his upper body and torso, allowing green chakra to spill into the previously blocked channels. She healed his concussion and slight skull fracture. Her hand touched his forehead and Neji returned to consciousness. His opal eyes flickered open, then to Sakura's face. Sakura stood up and stuck her hand out; Neji looked at it before taking her hand and accepting help standing up.

"So, in addition to inexplicably massive strength, you are also capable of medical ninjutsu?" Now Hyuuga Neji was really looking at her.

Sakura nodded amiably. "I have delicate chakra control, so I decided that it would be a favorable skill to cultivate."

Predictably, Sasuke beat Tenten (she fumed inside but he was just on another level), and Naruto lost to Lee. Sakura was a little nervous about Sasuke seeing her match with Neji, as it had gotten a little out of hand…She wasn't even a teenager in this timeline yet, for Kami's sake! Sakura hoped she hadn't caused a strange misunderstanding, because although Kakashi had joked about it, he would never spread gossip about her.

As Team 7 turned to leave, Neji called out:

"Tomorrow. Let's train again. Bring your team, if you like." Sakura knew he was talking to her.

Sasuke's elder hissed in his head. What is with this bastard?

Didn't you hear him, young one? He's throwing his hat in the ring. You've just gained another rival.

Sakura chuckled. "Sure, but don't expect the results to change."

This way, we can switch up the matches and Sasuke can hopefully use the Sharingan to copy Lee's move like in my previous timeline. He'll need it for the finals, but having it in his arsenal in the Forest of Death can't hurt. And the more I train with Sasuke and Neji, the better I will understand my own powers granted by Kaguya.

Sasuke sent her a look. Well, at least this way he could have his own shot at beating the Hyuuga.

"Don't sulk, Sasuke. It doesn't suite you. You're more of the brooding type," said Sakura lightly, as they walked back from the training fields.

Sasuke stopped. Sakura stopped a moment later. She turned to Naruto. "Hey, it looks like Sasuke has something he wants to say in private. Dinner at Ichiraku's tomorrow, ok?"

Naruto grinned happily and accepted her offer. "Bye teme, bye Sakura-chan!"

Naruto sniggered before adding, "don't kill each other!"

"Baka! See you tomorrow!" She called after him, a ghost of a smile warming her cheeks as she switched her attention away from Naruto. Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"Out with it. What's on your mind."

"When I watched your fight, I focused my Sharingan on your chakra reserves rather than your delicate control. But I couldn't see the extent of your chakra reserves. I can't tell by sight if they are large or small, though I can see they are divided. Past that, These eyes don't have a hint of what you're capable." Somehow, his eyes looked like a midnight blue rather than their usual charcoal color; a probing gaze seemingly glued to Sakura's form.

"Observant as ever, even in ignorance," she clicked. "Concealing one's chakra signature doesn't happen one way; obscuring the limits of your chakra is just another way to confuse your enemy. But in terms of stealth, cloaking one's chakra signature is much more imperative. Watch."

Sasuke blinked open his Sharingan and as he opened his eyes, Sakura's overwhelming presence (the majority of which she still concealed) was completely silenced. She called it her "Quiet Kage technique" because she enjoyed the phonetic alliteration and it was one of the only ways she managed to catch a break from the endless amount of paperwork given to the Hokage every day. The only indication of her actually being there was the fact that Sasuke could see her standing right before him. How can she hide from my Sharingan?

This, I do not know. It seems she arrived in this timeline with more than a few… tactical upgrades. I died long before she did… spoke Elder Sasuke, speech trailing off uncharacteristically.

Sakura waved her hand in front of Sasuke's transfixed gaze. "Alright, time to go home. See you tomorrow, Sasuke."

Sasuke watched her leave, taking note that Sakura was actually headed in the opposite direction of her house. Apparently daytime training wasn't enough. He attempted to reproduce Sakura's cloaking technique with his Sharingan, but found it too nuanced, so he kept a wide birth as he tailed her.

As Sakura arrived at the farthest training field, she breathed in the nighttime breeze. It felt like freedom, and she cherished her little moments of peace, as they were few and far between. Why go so far from town? Sakura finally felt some of Kaguya's power pulsating throughout her body and decided it was time to train the additional powers she'd been given. The power that stood beyond the Hundred Healings Jutsu. It was the power of the Fruit of God. The power of the Rabbit Moon Goddess, Princess Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

She searched for Kaguya in her mind, the source of energy which had previously made itself known, and found the fragment inside her. Drawing upon that energy, she felt as if the tip of her finger had touched an ocean more vast than any she could've imagined. It was a ripple in an endless sea, on an open horizon; dawn-kaleidoscopic breaking, eternally.

Come on… she thought, goading the goddess within her to consciousness. It was time to test out Senjutsu.

Remember the motions I taught you, child.

Sakura focused her special energy into her cupped palms. Chakra instantly flooded her eyes and she felt the change within them.

When her eyes opened, Sakura saw a cherry blossom had bloomed in her palm; it was gorgeous and delicate, plump and pert, but elegant all the same. She smiled; finally, some progress.

While she stopped to breathe, Sakura spent a few moments in a contemplative state. Sakura would need to meet with Kakashi and Sarutobi again. If she did kill Orochimaru and even if Kabuto failed to rally for the invasion, there was still Suna to worry about. But if Orochimaru was no longer around to kill the Kazekage and take his place observing the final matches, would Suna even participate in the invasion at all?

Sakura concluded that they probably would. Both Suna and Konoha possessed jinchūriki, and Sakura knew well that the plan was to unleash Shukaku and create chaos with the Sound ninja all over the village, while the single tailed beast ran rampant. However, Konoha would be ready this time.

I have to be the one to face Gaara. I'm the only one who can contain the creature inside him.

And what of Orochimaru, little one? How will you deal with him? asked Kaguya.

Sakura smirked, because they both knew the answer. "Dojutsu. I am going to use the Mangekyo Sharingan's powers to trap myself in a space in which time moves incredibly slowly. I believe the ratio is 3 days in the mental landscape is equivalent to a single second in the outside world. This way, I can maximize my training time in order to manage to make use of some of your most incredible skills. Can I trust you to teach me well?"

Warmth bloomed inside her. The Goddess spoke softly then slipped back into her acerbic, imperial and enigmatic locution. It would be my pleasure. I won't go easy on you, in fact, I'll have to intensify our training if you want to learn how to use your dojutsu. However, because you are not my direct lineal descendent, and therefor have different DNA, your bloodline might manifest differently. You will still have full control over my abilities, however the appearance of your pupillary technique will be different.

She felt Kaguya nod her head and felt a curious sense of re-assurance. Having the ability to use senjutsu and dojutsu would aid her mission in immeasurable ways, if Sakura had the resolve to train relentlessly. And those bloodline limits were imperative to her plan. Sakura would resort to any method necessary to kill Orochimaru. She doubted that the Snake Sannin would stand a chance, but he was so damn slippery. Like a cockroach, he always seemed to survive in some form or another. Cockr-ochimaru.

She trained until the early hours of the morn, went home to sleep for a few hours, and woke up early to start training again.

Sakura trained manically. She moved through reality so slowly, but Kami knows she needed the practice. It took three months in the Tsukuyomi state to really make something useful of her Wood release.

Sakura soon realized she couldn't spend quite as much time in the Tsukuyomi state as she anticipated, because the physical toll it took upon her eyes made her wary. She did not want to go blind like Uchiha Itachi. Kaguya's instruction was harsher even than Tsunade's, harder than any ANBU training, or even experience gained from all-out battles. The Goddess spent her time instructing Sakura, and she could even manifest a physical form in Sakura's mental landscape, which had morphed into the ideal training ground. She would need to test her powers, and soon.

In a real battle.

But when?

…..

Hey guys! As always, please read and review!

For those of you worried about Sasuke and Naruto's progress, just be patient! While this is a Sakura centric fic, the strength of her teammates is also of utmost importance. And woah, woah! I've heard the message: Sasusaku for life!

Important note from the author: This week has been very difficult for me. Unfortunately, two of my close friends overdosed this week. One is dead and the other is alive, and we (her support system) are trying to make sure she gets the treatment she needs. I wanted to share this because while I don't have writer's block, my mind is distracted. I want to be clear: this story is NOT on hiatus and it is NOT on hold. However, I might take an extra few days or perhaps a week between this and the next chapter. I hope you all understand. Thank you.

—Peregrine Passage