Author's Note: Alright my loves, I know that it has been a long time and none of you love me anymore but I wanted to get a chapter or two out for the Thanksgiving holiday before I get back into my hectic work schedule. I am still working on this chapter and this is kind of a filler chapter that doesn't connect to the actual story really, but I wanted to let everyone know that I am still here and still trying. Even if I'm not doing very well. I'm still working on my stories, just very, very slowly. And yay! This chapter brings the story up to 200,000 words! And for those of you who thought, "You wrote a 2,000-word filler instead of a long-awaited chapter?" Shut up. XD Enjoy and accept my apology pleeease.

Warning: Filler Chapter as an Apology

Sakura feels like this is going to be her favorite time of year. Back in her Konoha, there would be a festival held to celebrate. The stalls would sell food for cheap and everyone was overall merry and joyful. Sakura loved all of the exotic cuisines that she got to try as vendors from all over would try to make a killing selling to a celebrating village willing to pay the pretty penny for the service.

This day was important to her people, as it was when all of the warring clans came together and officially signed the peace treaty. Konoha was founded a few months later, but this was the official end of the war. So this was the time of year when a lot of celebrations were occurring. The peace signing, the formation of Konoha, and Halloween and Christmas. So festivals for as far as the eye can see.

Well, past Konoha didn't have all of these festivals, so future Konoha had to educate them on how to party it up. Since they were living pretty frugal without the village being able to support its own girth at the moment, so the festivals had to be maintained by the hardworking people willing to put the effort into keeping it alive and organized.

Needless to say, on top of everything else, Sakura was so excited to be part of the committee dedicated to doing so. It was a great distraction from everything going on around her and all of her questions and concerns. The only thing that she couldn't forget, was that there were some people who weren't there, that should have been. That deserved to be.

But Sakura was too busy to focus on stuff like that right now.

So Sakura, Hinata, Ino, a bunch of housewives from past Konoha and a decent amount of women and elderly from new Konoha that was interested in taking part in the festival preparation. Anything to stave off both the loneliness of losing people who are gone, missing people who should be here, and trying to do their best to bridge gaps between both the clans and the separate villages. The people are trying so hard to keep from all of this falling apart at the seems that they are willing to do anything and everything to keep it working.

It was hard to have so many people trying to organizing the event. The past clansmen wanted to keep things "traditional", whereas Sakura's people were more used to "modern" ideas. They had a lot of conflict of interest and eventually, Kurenai intervened and basically took control of the situation and working on a way to compromise so that everyone could be happy.

Thankfully, this was all done weeks in advance, giving people time to go scrounging for kimonos and for those with time and fabric to make them for people who ask. It was a nice excuse to bond with one another.

They decided on a nice blend that was a little bit harder to sell to the new Konoha, but they were able to keep enough what they knew that the surprising more modern things for Sakura's people, wasn't too bad. Kurenai made a very good point for everyone who had a hand in the planning. "We are in this for the long run," she said, "so we can expand into things we are used to in time. But let's take it easy for now. We can't plan like we are used to because we don't have Konoha to flit the bill. Baby steps. Extravagance comes later. Make this about bonding together."

Sakura couldn't agree more.

Sakura spent the weeks leading up to the festival helping organize and get things prepared. The able-bodied men and women were helping build homes while everyone else setting this festival in motion. This festival may have taken place around the time of Sakura's Konoha founding and the end of Sengoku Jidai of her time, but here, it represents something else. Sakura's hoping something mushy like unity or the promise for a better future for all of them, but it also easily serves as a way to forget all of the craziness and just spend time with the people they loved and enjoy the life they have right at that moment.

Tomorrow might suck, but today doesn't have to, or so Ino likes to say recently.

Sakura took over the organization once the day came so Kurenai could spend the day with sweet little Mirai. So Sakura ran around the section of the village dedicated for makeshift stalls and games for the kids and with her clipboard and head on a swivel, she made sure that everything ran smoothly. It was nice watching her friends and family unwind a bit.

Sakura spots Izuna and Ino walking from stall to stall, her arm linked through his. She was so vibrant next to him. He was wearing a traditional dark blue kimono with the Uchiha fan on his back, while her kimono was flowery, purples, light blue, and white to go with her beautiful long blond hair. Ino caught her eye while Izuna was talking to one of the vendors and offers her a really pretty smile. For a moment, Ino looked like she was ready to leave Izuna to come over to her, but Sakura quickly waved goodbye and made her way further down the street.

They were cute. She hopes they work out, one way or another.

It was easy to find Hashirama. He was surrounded by women. Women watching with bright eyes as he plays around with the children, using his wood style to create structures for the children to play with. There were two little boys hanging off each arm and a little girl on his back as he spins around with the biggest smile on his face, laughing alongside them. Vines wrap around some of the other children, bobbing them around playfully while they scream in glee. Sakura can see Toka, one of the Senju's most powerful and well-respected women, watching with keen eyes in case something was to go wrong.

Madara was policing the festival, making sure that everyone was staying safe, so needless to say he didn't find any amusement in the screaming wooden death trap of Hashirama's making. That was multiple visits to the hospital and - had they been in the future with cutthroat lawyers - lawsuites waiting to happen. Madara's eyes bugged out of his head and he went marching over there like he was on the warpath. Hashirama grinned at him sheepishly and toned down the swinging vine monster but didn't look like he was ready to stop just yet.

Sakura shook her head, figuring that was going to settle itself.

Kakashi and the Inuzuka brought out all their dogs for people to play with and destress. One of the Inuzuka dogs was pregnant when brought back and just had her little a few days after they showed up. In time for the puppies to be old enough to play with the people hankering for some puppy love. Sakura stops to pet both Pakkun before he returns to Kakashi, hopping up onto his shoulder, having been squeezed and chased around enough by little snot monsters to last him a lifetime. And Akamaru was all too happy to roll around on the ground as children crawled all over him, licking at all their hands and faces when they got close.

Sakura only got to touch his head lightly before he was buried beneath a wave of children who fondly remember him as their play partner since he originally came to this village. Kiba waved to her as she passed by.

Moving on, Sakura saw Sai and Yamato working alongside the rest of the on-duty ANBU that are monitoring the safety of the village under Madara's command. He told to commanding both sides of Konoha's forces with ease. Naturally.

TenTen, Lee, and Hinata were all sitting at a stall, looking over the wares and talking. Well, TenTen and Lee were talking, Hinata just admired the wares and kept looking back and forth between them, offering her input in her soft voice whenever she felt like she needed to, but was otherwise content to let them carry the conversation.

Sakura was happy Hinata was there. In some ways, for all three of them, it was like they were connected with Neji. Them being together was somehow the healing balm that they all needed, Sakura could just tell. It was good that they were all together.

Shino was standing off to the side as Shikamaru and Choji argued about something. As Sakura walked by, it sounds like they were arguing about cooked beef. Shikamaru looked exasperated and annoyed, rubbing at his forehead. "Jeez, man, I'm not gonna keep arguing with you about this. I take back what I said. You are such a drag." His narrow, dark eyes find her. "Hey, how is it going?"

Sakura stops walking, pressing her clipboard to her chest. "How is what going? The festival?"

Shikamaru stuffs his hands into his pocket as Choji waves happily over the top of Shikamaru's head at the pink-haired girl. She offers the taller boy a smile as Shikamaru says, "Sure. How is it?"

"Good," Sakura says, nodding. "It's going good. Everything is going smoothly." She remembers the murderous look on Madara's face and Hashirama's death playground. "Er, well, it's going as smoothly as it can, I suppose."

Shikamaru quirks an eyebrow. "Huh, well, try and find some time to enjoy the festival yourself." He gives her a little half-wave in dismissal and turning away from her.

Sakura rolls her eyes, mumbling something about doing just that before waving to the other two boys and continuing down the street. She watches as families and friends from both Konohas mingle and have fun. With as many people as they could manage in traditional clothing with kabuki masks and face paint, everyone looked the same. It made it hard for Sakura to be able to tell who came from the village she was born in and who came from the one she is helping make. It is such a beautiful feeling that she hopes will extend beyond today. She hopes that this unity and strength will carry into the future.

Sakura smiles, feeling a stab of pain in her chest and tears prickle in her eyes. She isn't the only one who has lost people or is still holding out hope that those that are lost will return to them safe and sound, but Sakura can't help but think about her parents. Her mom and dad loved the festivals. Her mom would doll her up in a pretty kimono and do up her hair and they would roam the streets together.

Sakura never thought for a moment that she would outgrow them and those moments. She missed them so much.

And Naruto and Sasuke. She hasn't any memories of reconnecting with Sasuke, so she's not sure how things would have changed now, but she would wander away from her parents at some point and Naruto would be one of those people she would seek out. She loved spending time with the goofy blonde. She missed him too. She hopes that if both he and Sasuke there, that they were together. They were unstoppable and unbeatable together. Their bond was completely identical to Hashirama and Madara's. They were brothers. They needed each other.

Sakura looks up through the crowd. Through the throng of people all laughing and joking. Friends. Families. Lovers. Sakura's eyes find red staring back at her. At first, Sakura thought it was Sasuke staring back at her. But then her heart skipped a beat. It was Tobirama. He stands strong as the people pass around him as if he were a stone in water.

Imposing and powerful he makes his way through the crowd of people. They move to avoid him as he makes his way over to her.

"Good evening," Tobirama says, stuffing his hands into his long white kimono sleeves.

"Hey," Sakura says, clutching her clipboard and willing her erratic heart to slow back down to normal. "Are you enjoying the festivities?"

Tobirama looks around them as if he had absolutely no idea that the festival was going on around him. He takes in the people and the venders and the loud din that could probably be heard at the border, before looking back over at Sakura. "Yes."

"That was a hell of a pause," Sakura says mirthfully.

Tobirama pins her in place with red eyes. "I mean it. I am enjoying myself. But I suppose the better question is, what are you up to?"

"Monitoring the festival to ensure everything is going well." Sakura shrugs her shoulders, clutching the clipboard closer. "I'm just doing my rounds. I'm just about done."

"And then?" Tobirama probes.

Sakura shrugs. "I guess, I join in too."

Tobirama nods slowly. "Alright then. Do you mind if I escort you?"

Sakura feels the pain in her chest lessens. "It's a festival, Tobirama-sama. You don't have to escort me. Just have fun."

Tobirama turns beautiful red eyes down toward her, the orbs surrounded by thick, dark lashes. "Being with you is fun. You would honor me by accepting."

The emotion that wells up in her chest both hurts and makes her happy at the same time. She really didn't want to be alone anymore. Her parents might not be here with her anymore - or ever again. And Naruto and Sasuke may not be here with her either, but she's here. In this moment. She may not have everything she wanted. But she does have her life. She has those that are still here.

Sakura nods slowly, feeling like a weight has lifted off of her shoulders. She is grateful. So grateful. "Thank you."

She is happy, despite it all. Despite the pain and the unsureness. Despite the looming future and the bleak past, Sakura is here. She is healthy and strong and has people she loves around her. She feels alone even though she's not. She feels weaker than she knows that she should and she hates feeling like that. Tobirama doesn't make her feel like that. He makes her feel weak but not because of a lording sense. He helps her heart feel strong. He seems so sure of her even though they weren't even speaking about anything that required strength.

He helps her pain ease with just his presence alone. He helps alleviate some of the lonliness too and for that, she is thankful.